Once again, the central Corso Umberto I, known as the "Rettifilo," has become the scene of violence. This time, the victim was an Austrian tourist, whose gold necklace was stolen in the late afternoon while she was walking with a friend. What saved her from the attack, paradoxically, was not the intervention of the police, but the courage of a passerby, who struck the thief with a helmet, scaring him away.
It's the same old story: Naples welcomes visitors with smiles, guides, and promotions, but then abandons them to the clutches of street predators. And the inevitable question arises: what impression will a tourist make of this city after being robbed in the city center, amidst the crowds, in what should be a shopping mall?
This isn't a matter of a single incident, but of the overall picture. Tourists aren't just guests: they bring in money, they fill hotels, restaurants, shops, and bars. They support the economy of hundreds of Neapolitan families. But they demand—and have every right to—to stroll undisturbed, without the fear of a moped or a thug coming to snatch a necklace, a bag, or a cell phone.
Fortunately, true Neapolitans —those who love the city and respect its visitors—are slowly beginning to realize that the state alone can't do it. Each of us needs to do our part, to start doing the right thing: making these "guappetielli" understand that Naples isn't theirs, but ours. A vibrant city, one that wants to welcome and not reject, one that can't be held hostage by those who thrive on the fears of others.
So, enough with the postcard slogans. Without security, every investment in tourism risks collapsing like a sandcastle. Naples can't afford to turn every visit into a scary story. Because tourists, real ones, choose cities where they feel protected. And here, unfortunately, protection seems to come only from a helmet pulled on a robber's head.
It's sad to see Naples failing to protect tourists. I was there a while ago and saw so much beauty, but also so much insecurity. It's important that something be done to improve the situation, not only for tourists but also for those who live there.