By Eric J. Lyman
ROME, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Shy about visiting the cultural and architectural riches of Rome with nobody to take a photo that will show you were there? There's a tour for that.
A travel agency in the Italian capital is rolling out a new "Insta-boyfriend" tour option that includes a temporary boyfriend -- or girlfriend -- to snap glamorous photos in front of famous Roman tourist stops like the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, or the Pantheon.
All companions are professional photographers, with skills necessary to capture the most flattering angles and lighting, setting up ideal post for Instagram or Facebook.
"Social media is becoming more and more important, especially with young people," said Davide Bolognesi, marketing manager with Roma Experience, the agency offering the service. "People want the perfect photo to post online. It makes sense to offer the option."
Bolognesi told Xinhua he was unaware of any other agency in Rome or elsewhere offering a service like this one.
The agency is in the process of gearing up for high tourist season that will start in the spring. He said that if the service becomes popular the agency could expand it beyond Rome.
Bolognesi also stressed that the service is not limited to single travelers: couples, groups, or families could also opt to have a photographer join them to document their visit to the Eternal City.
Marketing analysts said the notion of an "Insta-boyfriend" is more interesting than simply offering the services of a professional photographer who would save travelers from the need to take selfies in front of their favorite monument.
"The idea of hiring a boyfriend is warmer, more personal than simply hiring a professional photographer to act as their personal member of the paparazzi," Marco Stancati, a professor of corporate communications and marketing at Rome's La Sapienza University, said in an interview.
"A decade ago, people were consumers of products," Stancati went on. "Today, people are consumers of emotions. But they still want something to show to their friends and families."
Angelo Rega, a commentator on social media issues and a professor of general psychology at Federico II University in Naples, said social media has been around for too little time to understand the psychological impact it has on people. But he said it will likely prove to be part of a wider trend of disconnecting everyday life from the life people reveal to the public.
"We cannot say if it is a pathology, but there is no doubt it is becoming more common," Rega told Xinhua. "Like any commercial endeavor, a tour agency provides a service where there is a need. It is natural that some people might want to take the experience beyond taking selfies to another level."
The "Insta-boyfriend" option is not low cost: the fee is 350 euros (400 U.S. dollars) for three hours, which is in addition to the cost of a tour. With the Roma Experience, a basic tour costs 735 euros.
"There is no one-size-fits-all option," Bolognesi, the agency's marketing manager said. "There are fast food places to have lunch and restaurants offering sophisticated and elaborate meals. Both have their place. It's the same with what tourists look for in tours."
