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George Clooney Hopes 'The American' Will Boost Tourism in Italian Countryside

Where: Sulmona, Italy
September 3, 2010 at 11:42 AM | by | Comment (1)

Today, another film starring Geroge Clooney as the brooding, lone wolf leading man opens in theaters, but this one has a greater purpose.

In The American, George Clooney plays a hitman who travels to the Italian countryside, where he takes one last assignment. The movie was shot on location in Abruzzo, a mountainous region that stretches from Rome to the Adriatic Sea.

One of the places prominently featured in The American is Sulmona, a small city dotted with ancient landmarks and known for confetti—small sugar-coated almond candies. While filming in Sulmona, George and his girlfriend, Elisabetta Canalis, took advantage of the street market in the heart of the city, which is within walking distance of the Hotel Rojan.

Hotel Rojan is one of the newest hotels in Sulmona and has all of the necessary modern conveniences we're used to in larger American hotels including a continental-style breakfast served to guests each morning. Most of the staff speaks English too, which isn't always a given in Abruzzo. Rates start around $128 a night.

As they started production on the film, Clooney and the film's director Anton Corbijn purposely tried to make Abruzzo another character in the movie, hoping that it would not only add texture to the film, but that it would also spur tourism to the region. Abruzzo is still reeling after being hit by a devastating earthquake in 2009, so they need it. Locals were receptive to not only the money spent by the production, but also the possibility that it would renew the tourist cash flow after the film's release.

If George Clooney's plan works, The American might just do for Abruzzo what In Bruges did for Bruges.

Related Stories:
· "The American" Review: Less is More in Clooney's Latest Film [CBS News]
· George Clooney filming in Abruzzo [Italy Magazine]
· Movie Set Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: IMDb]

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Return to » George Clooney Hopes 'The American' Will Boost Tourism in Italian Countryside


Tourism...

The European Union and other nations have been surprised by the United States of America Customs and Border Safety's plan to impose a tourist tax. I found this here: Many tourists must now pay a tourist tax to enter the US 36 nations were chosen as the group required to pay to enter the United States a $14 "operational and travel promotion" for the tourist levy. The only exception to the rule of those who pay are travelers with U.S. visas. Yahoo! News explains this.
France on September 15, 2010 at 10:43 PM #Permalink

Return to » George Clooney Hopes 'The American' Will Boost Tourism in Italian Countryside

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