Addiopizzo Travel

The origins of Addiopizzo (“Goodbye pizzo”) date back to 2004, in Palermo, Sicily. A group of ordinary citizens decided to take a stand against the mafia's practice of pizzo, or extortion money. Often, businesses were forced to pay protection money to the mafia clans, threatening their livelihoods and perpetuating the grip of organized crime. In defiance of this, a coalition of businesses and citizens began to openly refuse to pay the pizzo. Addiopizzo emerged as a grassroots movement, advocating for businesses to resist extortion and encouraging consumers to support pizzo-free establishments.

In 2009, Addiopizzo Travel was founded as an offshoot of this movement. It aims to promote responsible and ethical tourism in Sicily by offering tours and experiences that support businesses refusing to pay the pizzo. The tours provide travelers with an opportunity to explore Sicily's rich culture, history, and cuisine, while learning about the mafia and the anti-mafia movement. Participating in their tours directly contributes to the fight against organized crime.

The activities offered by Addiopizzo Travel—including walking and biking tours in Palermo, Capaci, and Corleone—also seek to change visitors’ ideas about Sicily and its people, including those influenced by the media and books and movies like The Godfather.