{"id":637,"date":"2017-07-20T13:08:29","date_gmt":"2017-07-20T13:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.italyvacationspecialists.com\/blog\/?p=637"},"modified":"2026-01-08T15:32:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:32:50","slug":"too-many-tourists-in-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.italyvacationspecialists.com\/blog\/too-many-tourists-in-italy","title":{"rendered":"Places in Italy Now Over-Run with Tourists: Know When To Go & When To Stay Clear – Great Alternatives to Italy’s Tourist States"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, renowned throughout the world for its incredible food, wine, culture, architecture, fashion and stunning landscapes. With so many amazing cities and regions in one country and dozens of beautiful islands there are many reasons why Italy is\u00a0one of the most visited countries in the world and in 2017 Italy has seen a record number of tourists: Numbers recorded to be over 40 MILLION, but that does not account for European visitors who travel freely without borer interference.\u00a0 Essentially we are talking about more than the entire population of Canada visiting Italy in 2017.<\/p>\n

Great, right?<\/p>\n

Well, not exactly.\u00a0 It would be great if it weren’t for the very sad reality of Italy’s political and economic state where in a country of such beauty,\u00a0 the vast majority of resources are not managed for the greater good of the society in a sustainable way and make no mistake about it; tourism is a resource and needs governmental rule and law to function.\u00a0 Unfortunately tourism in recent years in Italy has not been managed in a sustainable way at all and now mass tourism is a huge concern particularly during peak season and areas such as\u00a0\u00a0Florence<\/strong><\/a><\/span>,\u00a0Venice<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0,\u00a0Rome<\/a>\u00a0,\u00a0Cinque Terre<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0Amalfi Coast<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0Capri<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong>are nothing more than tourist states.<\/p>\n

June, July, August & September when the cruise-ships bring massive numbers of visitors into the ports are the worst times to visit, abut it’s not only cruise ships that are the culprit here.\u00a0 It’s the lack of employment in other areas which has drawn millions of people into the tourism “industry” since in Italy tourism is one of the only ways that many people now can make a living considering the fact that salaries in other lines of work are so little.<\/p>\n

And for those working in the tourism industry? Consider this:<\/p>\n

Higher level managers can expect to receive a MAX salary of 2000,00 EURO a month.\u00a0 That’s approximately 2400,00 USD a MONTH and we are talking top level managers here, not average employees who make anywhere from 1200 – 1600 EURO a month.<\/p>\n

So, why is it that when you come to the majority of Italian tour operators employees generally provide the same cookie-cutter tours?!\u00a0 When looking for Italy vacations you typically see the same things over and over and over again?It’s because Italian Tour operators are trained in selling the same things over and over again.\u00a0 Marketers are taught to market the same standard things over and over again –\u00a0 because it’s easy.\u00a0 The system is all set up!<\/p>\n

Italy saw over a TRILLION EURO in tourism revenue this year and so why would anyone want to change it?\u00a0\u00a0The truth is nobody does, but the environment is demanding it.\u00a0 The country and the citizens here can’t handle it.<\/p>\n

Staff of major offices don’t want to go out of their way of the “normal” and “standard” tourist circuit to give you suggestions outside of the normal realm of what they are expected and paid for to do.\u00a0 Just like you they are involved in a hugely problematic tourism “INDUSTRY” now made up of numbers, not people.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to political and economic difficulty that so many citizens of Italy are faced with, the fact of the matter is that most of the world only ever hears or knows about the cities or regions where there is already significant tourism and so areas like\u00a0the Cinque Terre<\/strong><\/span><\/a> national park featured in Rick Steve’s<\/strong><\/span> most popular travel guide book, or most recently the\u00a0 Amalfi Coast<\/a><\/strong><\/span> & Capri.<\/strong><\/a><\/span>\u00a0 in addition to the already popular cities like Florence<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, Venice<\/strong><\/span><\/a> and Rome<\/span><\/a>\u00a0– the Italian government and most major tour operators who do millions of Euro in business continue to invest major money in marketing so that you think these places need to be on your “bucket list” when the reality is that the truly beautiful, exclusive and most gorgeous places in Italy you never hear about.\u00a0 \u00a0The places you THINK YOU MUST SEE IN ITALY ARE THE MOST MARKETED PLACES BECAUSE THEY ARE EASY TO SELL.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

But Let’s look at the reality – which no-one is going to tell you.<\/p>\n

EXCLUSIVE & BEAUTIFUL VACATIONS IN ITALY DO NOT NEED TO BE EXPENSIVE.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In June, if you want to go to Positano<\/strong><\/span><\/a> on the\u00a0Amalfi Coast<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– be are guest, but at least be aware you can barely find a hotel room under 200 EURO\u00a0and it’s not only the cost of hotel rooms that’s problematic:<\/p>\n

THERE IS ONE ROAD AND ONE ROAD LEADING ONTO THE AMALFI COAST<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0AND INTO THE\u00a0CI<\/a>NQUE TERRE\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tourists coming here, have to wait sometimes hours to reach their hotels in Positano<\/strong><\/span><\/a>when arriving from Naples<\/strong><\/span><\/a> and have to endure major traffic in peak seasons, though not only: It’s incredible stress for the drivers and this year we had several reports from drivers and citizens in these areas feeling that their way of life has been totally disrupted by mass tourism, traffic and pollution. In fact, locals complain in their own home towns and cities they can’t even go out for a morning coffee and hear Italian at their local coffee shop. It’s all English – and American English at that.<\/p>\n

And so the question becomes:<\/p>\n

If it’s no longer pleasurable for the locals themselves can it be pleasurable for the tourists themselves? Has Italy in these major tourist states become a sort of grown-up Disneyland for adults?<\/p>\n

We are pondering this question and have formed an institution called the\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Italy Education Center<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– and we are starting to tackle these very issues and starting to take action and create advocacy\u00a0here in Italy to create sustainable tourism.\u00a0 \u00a0We believe that education is the key!<\/p>\n

In the upcoming months we will be posting more about time-tables and measures that Italy is implementing in order to protect these important cultural and environment areas from over-tourism.<\/p>\n

In the meantime here are some great alternatives to the tourist trap areas in Italy:<\/p>\n

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  1. Instead of spending a fortune to visit the ridiculously over-priced and over-touristed island\u00a0\u00a0Capri<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>from the\u00a0Amalfi Coast<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0for a day, think about visiting the island of Ponza<\/strong><\/span> which is easily accessible from\u00a0Rome<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n