Beautiful Italian villages are being adversely affected by overtourism. Portofino has made a decision.
Locals in Portofino, a little beach hamlet on the Italian Riviera, are beginning to feel the pressure as the area has become a tourist attraction.
The town’s gorgeous quay is ideal Instagram material, with colorful houses encircling the sea.
In the summer, it signals an influx of tourists taking selfies and obstructing sidewalks and roadways.
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To combat this, Portofino’s mayor has introduced no-waiting zones. Anyone caught hanging around on the quay for too long between 10:30am and 6pm risks a fine of €270.
The town has just over 400 residents, but draws lots of tourists, with numbers sometimes exceeding 10,000. This results in overcrowded streets and traffic jams.
The restriction is meant to avoid huge visitor gatherings on the pier. It will be in effect until the 15th of October, when the holiday season ends.
How else does Italy fight against excessive tourism?
Not all Italian cities are battling overtourism, including Portofino.
In the summer, countless tourists flock to the Amalfi coast’s turquoise bays and cliffside towns.
A number plate limitation scheme was implemented between June and September of last year in order to lessen traffic on the famous 35-kilometer stretch between Vietri sul Mare and Positano.
The route was open to vehicles with number plates that ended in an odd number on odd number days, and to vehicles with number plates that ended in an even number on even number days.
Venice too experiences a tourist overflow. The city of just 50,000 people may host up to 150,000 visitors each day during the busiest months.
Large cruise ships were not permitted to dock in the port after 2021. In the following year, the city is anticipated to charge visitors an entrance fee. A tourism tax of €5 per night is already paid by overnight guests and is added to their hotel bills.
Other popular tourist destinations have put restrictions on short-term rentals to fight population loss and rising rents.