Overcrowded cities and vandalism are forcing Italy to take drastic measures. Locals welcome the steps against mass tourism. But there are also doubts.
Rome – Tourists bring money, but also problems with them. The consequences for locals due to the masses of visitors: a shortage of living space, exploding rents and living costs, and in many places vandalism. Many locals have had enough; on the Spanish mainland, demonstrators are using water pistols to show what they think of the streams of tourists; on Mallorca, islanders are occupying popular holiday bays.
Italy is also struggling with a flood of holidaymakers. Several cities and regions have recently taken tough action against this: the popular lagoon city of Venice has been charging people for some time just to enter the city center. A higher bed tax is also being introduced here and there to deter tourists. Many locals see this tough approach as the right way to go – regardless of the important tourist income.
In the fight against mass tourism: Italy relies on innovative measures
According to the tourism analysis by the BAT Foundation for Future Issues, Italy is particularly popular with German travelers. Last year, Italy was the second most popular travel destination after Spain. But many tourists from other countries and sometimes from their own country are also drawn to the Adriatic paradise.
SkyTG24 reported that the effects of mass tourism are clearly visible at Bologna Airport. Due to the high number of passengers, the airport needs to be expanded. The reconstruction work could lead to long queues at the checkpoints. According to the report, cases of vandalism are also a recurring occurrence. In late summer 2023, for example, a holidaymaker from Germany damaged a landmark in the city of Florence because he wanted to take a memorable holiday photo.
In order to control tourism, new rules are constantly being introduced. The destruction of historical buildings, for example, is being punished more severely. According to the Italian newspaper The Post No new Airbnb accommodations are allowed to be offered in the city center of Florence. The newspaper The Republic reports that no new licenses for catering establishments are being issued in Naples.
Mass tourism in Italy: Many locals support the regulations
Many locals in Italy welcome these measures. According to the news agency Ansa and a survey by the market research agency JFC, 49.3 percent of respondents are in favor of introducing measures to limit mass tourism. 38.4 percent of respondents are against it. 12.4 percent have no opinion but do not believe that the regulations are helpful.
Some reject the regulations because they argue that “these are public places” that should be accessible to everyone – such as Venice. Others fundamentally reject the restrictions to protect “people’s freedom”. Some respondents do not believe that the restrictions will bring about change. One expert recently spoke to IPPEN.MEDIA also calls for stricter measures against mass tourism.
In contrast, a YouGov survey showed that many travellers from Germany do not concern themselves with the topic. Some do not even know what the term mass tourism means, others simply do not see themselves as responsible. However, as in many other countries, tourism in Italy is an important economic sector on which many people depend. According to RaiNews It accounts for around 14 percent of the gross domestic product.
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