The love story of Elio and Oliver, the stars of the Oscar-nominated “Call Me By Your Name,” has shined a spotlight on the small Italian city of Crema, bringing with it a new crop of love-struck travelers aching for fantasy and romance. Tourism to the city with a population of 35,000 has spiked — a trend that's expected to continue as the weather heats up and the movie continues to garner attention.
Local tourism officials keep a book of the reasons why visitors come to the city, about an hour outside of Milan, and “Luca Guadagnino's film” is now a common answer next to names from far off places. “American boys, Chinese and Japanese boys, from Poland, Taiwan, Philippines, London and Paris,” explains Francesca Gnocchi, who helps promote the city.
