The province of Calabria, which composes the tip of the Italian "boot," is relatively unknown to outsiders. Condé Nast Traveler remarks that tourists are so rare in the region that those who do venture there can have a hard time finding accommodations.

Italians from other regions express little interest in Calabria, as the province's reputation has been largely defined by its troubled side. Per Britannica, the region's development has been hindered by geographic factors, including frequent earthquakes, mountainous terrain, and a lack of transportation links to the rest of Italy.