Italian couple turned away from hotel 'because of their skin colour'
A hotelier in southern Italy reportedly turned a couple away from his hotel because of their skin colour, in what appears to be another racist incident in the tourism industry.
Cristobal Rojas, an Italian citizen of Cuban origin who works at Milan Malpensa Airport, had booked beach accommodation for Italy's mid-summer holiday, Ferragosto.
"When the owner saw us, he said we had to leave because he does not accept dark-skinned guests," Rojas told Repubblica.
The Rojas were able to find alternative accommodation in the thermal town of Margherita di Savoia, Puglia, where they had spent several summers.
Repubblica alleged the hotel owner confirmed by phone that he had asked the couple to leave although the allegations of racism remained unconfirmed.
Several other cases of discrimination have been reported from across Italy this summer. In Turin, an Italian girl said she was turned down for a retail assistant role because the shopkeeper objected to her boyfriend being an African, while in Verona, an Italian girl of Ghanian origin was told she could not enter a festival by an organiser because of her ethnic background.
And LGBT holidaymakers have also faced difficulties. One young gay couple were thrown out of a public beach resort for hugging, and in southern Italy, a "gay" toilet icon was discovered at a hotel.
READ MORE: Lidl staff accused of racism after locking women in recycling container
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Cristobal Rojas, an Italian citizen of Cuban origin who works at Milan Malpensa Airport, had booked beach accommodation for Italy's mid-summer holiday, Ferragosto.
"When the owner saw us, he said we had to leave because he does not accept dark-skinned guests," Rojas told Repubblica.
The Rojas were able to find alternative accommodation in the thermal town of Margherita di Savoia, Puglia, where they had spent several summers.
Repubblica alleged the hotel owner confirmed by phone that he had asked the couple to leave although the allegations of racism remained unconfirmed.
Several other cases of discrimination have been reported from across Italy this summer. In Turin, an Italian girl said she was turned down for a retail assistant role because the shopkeeper objected to her boyfriend being an African, while in Verona, an Italian girl of Ghanian origin was told she could not enter a festival by an organiser because of her ethnic background.
And LGBT holidaymakers have also faced difficulties. One young gay couple were thrown out of a public beach resort for hugging, and in southern Italy, a "gay" toilet icon was discovered at a hotel.
READ MORE: Lidl staff accused of racism after locking women in recycling container
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