Choosing the Addiopizzo Travel Tours Available Now at Weekendinitaly.com Supports Businesses that Refuse to Pay Mafia Protection Money

PALERMO, Italy, April 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Thanks to a new partnership between Weekend in Italy (WeekendinItaly.com), the leading source of online travel services focused solely on Italy, and Addiopizzo Travel, tourists can empower businesses that are bravely resisting mafia payoffs.

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"It is said that over 80% of businesses in Sicily make payments to the Mafia," says Weekend in Italy Founder and CEO, Alessandro Naldi. "Visitors curious about the Mafia now have a way to find out what it means today. We are proud to offer Sicily travelers from all over the world the opportunity to enjoy unforgettable experiences while supporting those who are making difficult and courageous decisions."

"Simply speaking," says Francesca Vannini Parenti, co-founder of Addiopizzo Travel, "we want visitors to experience Sicily beyond the 'Godfather' movie clichés, and tell about the diligent and creative people, the virtue and solidarity in our communities. Our travel offerings allow visitors to immerse themselves in this vibrant world - and be inspired by the beauty and resourcefulness alive here."

Addiopizzo Travel is the brainchild of Addiopizzo, founded in 2004 by a group of young people wanting to change the Mafia dominated Sicilian business culture. Addiopizzo - the name means "goodbye protection money" - is a non-profit whose purpose it is to protect the free exercise of business while assuring consumers that their money is not going to the Mafia.

Naldi says, "True, the tours have a social purpose - but they are all fun. They cover the best of Sicily from Palermo's history to making chocolate in Modica according to an Aztec recipe to meeting the enthusiastic young people who work on land confiscated from Mafia bosses. All of them take you deeper into the culture of this island rather than seeing just what's typical."

You can find the many Addipizzo Travel tours and packages at these WeekendinItaly.com links: https://www.weekendinitaly.com/en/sicilia/tour/163-walking-tours.html and https://www.weekendinitaly.com/en/sicilia/tour/9-hotel-and-excursions-packages.html

Background: Weekend in Italy has served travelers since 1995 and offers more than 600 tourist services for adventurous types, including tours, excursions and online ticket reservations for major Italian museums. Weekend in Italy was the first Italian company to offer these services online, with new ones constantly being added. The company collaborates with Expedia, Viator, GTA, Veltra and many others, and serves hundreds of thousands of customers each year.