Italian photographer Massimo Siragusa has captured a compelling image that reveals a puzzling aspect of modern tourism: why people choose artificial waterparks over Italy's spectacular natural beaches. His photograph, featuring a woman in a black swimsuit standing in a fake sea while gazing at an artificial island complete with plastic palm trees, comes from his important series "Leisure Time" and highlights the strange appeal of manufactured vacation destinations.

Siragusa began this photographic project during a difficult personal period in 2006 and 2007, when he needed to change his perspective and reinvent his artistic vision. Having always been fascinated by landscapes, cities, and the relationship between people and their environments, he decided to focus on mass tourism as his subject. The photographer wanted to open people's eyes to a peculiar aspect of contemporary life: the preference for artificial attractions over authentic natural experiences.

The project took Siragusa to various locations around northern Italy, including holiday parks near the Tre Cime di Lavaredo mountains in the Dolomites, as well as cruise ships. An Italian cruise company, Costa, allowed him to spend a week aboard one of their vessels, giving him insight into this increasingly popular vacation choice, especially among young people. When photographing amusement parks, however, Siragusa chose to blend in rather than work as an obvious journalist.

"I wanted to look like just another tourist," Siragusa explained. "So I'd dress in swimwear and do the same things they did." This approach was crucial to capturing authentic behavior without influencing how people acted. At the time, he was using a heavy medium-format camera, which wasn't the most convenient for this type of work. Looking back, he admits that if he were doing the same project today, he would probably use an iPhone to achieve the pictures he wanted without drawing attention to himself.

Siragusa's observations reveal troubling trends in modern tourism behavior. Many holidaymakers, he notes, prefer destinations where they know exactly what to expect and will never be surprised or discover anything by chance. Social media has amplified this tendency, with people flocking to sites they've seen others post about on Instagram, often creating a distorted reality of those locations. Tourists frequently take pictures without taking time to genuinely engage with the places they visit.

Even when tourists do visit natural attractions, such as mountains in the Alps, they expect to find the same amenities available in cities: good food, music, and high levels of service. "But that isn't the essence of mountains," Siragusa points out, "which we should really visit to find refuge, calm and connection with the natural world." This expectation transforms even authentic natural spaces into commercialized experiences that mirror artificial attractions.

The visual approach Siragusa took with his "Leisure Time" images deliberately emphasizes the unnatural character of these places. The brightness and candy colors that dominate these environments are specifically designed to appeal to children and create an atmosphere of artificial perfection. Everything is manufactured to look flawless, creating a stark contrast with the imperfect beauty of natural landscapes.

The central figure in his most famous image from the series – a woman in a black swimsuit standing in the artificial sea – embodies this contradiction perfectly. She gazes out over the fake island as if contemplating a scene of natural wonder, when in reality she's surrounded by manufactured entertainment. The photograph was taken at either Mirabilandia water park or Gardaland Resort, both located in northern Italy, though Siragusa admits he can't remember which without checking his records.

This uncertainty about the exact location is perhaps revealing in itself. While the parks aren't identical, they share the same atmosphere and could essentially be anywhere in the world. This interchangeability speaks to the standardization of tourist experiences and the loss of authentic, place-specific encounters that once defined travel and exploration.

Siragusa's work continues to resonate in contemporary discussions about tourism and authenticity. Born in Sicily in 1958, he considers his four World Press awards in various categories among his career highlights, along with the numerous books he has published throughout his career. His image is featured in the World Press Photo 70th anniversary print sale, which ran from November 17-26. Additionally, his book "Etna" was released in November by Cavallotto Editions, continuing his exploration of the relationship between people and landscapes.