Ryanair has been forced to change its description of Palermo after protests from local officials, the BBC has reported.
Ryanair’s city guide for Palermo described Sicily’s capital as a “forgotten treasure”, but city officials objected to what followed: “Dominated for many years by the mafia and poverty, the city has reclaimed a place among European cultural cities”.
Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica reported that this description provoked complaints from a Palermo council member and the boss of the city’s airport.
Ryanair said that the content was provided by a third party. Marketing manager, Giuseppe Belladone, said: “This detail escaped an internal check.”
He added that the description “obviously” doesn’t reflect the airline’s thoughts about the city.
The website now describes Palermo as “intoxicating, lively and energetic”.
However not everyone had a problem with the original content.
The Live Palermo website said that the low-cost airline made a clear distinction between the past and present, and added that the city “cannot erase” its history.