Italians divided on measures to manage excessive tourism

Almost half of Italians support implementing steps to reduce the consequences of so-called excessive tourism. The survey results were published during the peak of the tourist season, which this year is marked by a record influx of tourists, primarily from abroad.

Long queues, chaos and noise, difficulties finding places on public transport and parking lots, crowds in restaurants and on the streets, and serious disruptions in daily life are the effects of the phenomenon known as overtourism. This phenomenon increasingly annoys the residents of cities like Rome, Venice, and Florence, which are visited by hundreds of thousands of people.

More than 49 percent of participants in a survey by the JFC Opinion Research Institute believe a strategy is necessary to reduce, limit, or control the negative impact of the current influx of tourists.

38 percent of Italian residents oppose any intervention. 12 percent believe that any possible control measures would not bring real benefits.

In analyzing the survey results, it was noted that one-fifth of Italians deem introducing any entry limits to popular cities and tourist destinations as unfair because, as they argue, these are public places. Nearly the same number of people believe, on the contrary, that such steps would be "ideal for a sustainable quality of life for residents."

13 percent of Italians expressed the opinion that restrictions are justified to make tourists feel better in crowded places.