ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the geographical imagination and the politics of hospitality, followed by a case study of Badolato in southern Italy based on ethnographic research. It discusses the European refugee crisis of 2015 and the ways in which the politics of hospitality has been appropriated in the crisis. The story of Badolato was unusual enough to attract publicity, and reporters from throughout Italy and Europe came to the village to cover the story. The publicity was predominantly positive, which also affected the overall attitude towards the project in the town. However, the politics of hospitality was still relevant in the brand of the town. The image of Badolato as an exceptionally hospitable village has found its way into the village's tourist brochures, website and advertising. In the imagination of the politicians of Badolato, hospitality became a resource, through which the locals strove to redefine their value and assume a position as agents of change, not victims of it.
