Lauren Taylor

IT’S NO SECRET THAT OVERTOURISM HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE IN ITALY, PARTICULARLY AT ITS FAMOUS LANDMARKS LIKE ROME’S TREVI FOUNTAIN. NOW, CITY OFFICIALS ARE CONSIDERING NEW MEASURES TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM.

THE GOVERNMENT IS REPORTEDLY LOOKING AT A TIMED TICKET SYSTEM TO HELP MANAGE THE CROWDS AT TREVI FOUNTAIN. 

ACCORDING TO THE WASHINGTON POST THE PLAN WOULD INVOLVE FREE TICKETS FOR ROMANS AND A SMALL FEE OF 1 OR 2 EUROS FOR TOURISTS IN ORDER TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE MONUMENT WHILE ALLOWING VISITORS TO HAVE A MORE PEACEFUL, SHOULD-TO-SHOULDER-FREE EXPERIENCE. 

THE IDEA OF A TICKET SYSTEM IS GAINING TRACTION, WITH ROME’S MAYOR ROBERTO GUALTIERI CALLING IT A “CONCRETE POSSIBILITY”

TOURISM IN ITALY IS BOOMING, WITH RECORD NUMBERS IN 2023. AMIDST ALL THE DEBATE, JEFF BEZOS AND HIS FIANCE WERE SPOTTED JUST THIS WEEK ENJOYING THEIR OWN SERENE MOMENT AT THE FOUNTAIN. AND WITH THE VATICAN’S JUBILEE YEAR COMING IN 2025, ANOTHER 30-MILLION-PILGRIMS ARE EXPECTED TO FLOOD ROME. 

NOT EVERYONE IS ON BOARD WITH CROWD CONTROL MEASURES. KATIE PARLA, A ROME-BASED AUTHOR AND TOUR GUIDE, IS CONCERNED VISITORS AND LOCALS WON’T BENEFIT FROM RESTRICTING ACCESS TO SUCH AN INTENSELY TRAFFICKED PART OF THE CITY. 

WHILE DEBATES CONTINUE, ONE THING IS CLEAR: FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN PRESERVING ITALY’S HERITAGE AND MANAGING ITS MASSIVE TOURISM INFLUX REMAINS A CHALLENGE. 

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