THE Italy it faces a problem that is the envy of many countries: it cannot survive without tourists, but it can no longer control the large number of people flocking to the country, especially after the pandemic.
Sixty million tourists flooded the country last year, bleeding Italy’s economy in huge amounts. The tourism and travel sector accounted for 10.2% of Italy’s GDP in 2022, while employing approximately 4.4 million workers, i.e. 16% of total employment.
The problem of “too many tourists” seems to be a problem that a country likes, but in recent years the large influx of visitors has forced the authorities to take measures to save the cultural legacy that will not resist many people, CNBC pointed out.
First and best is Venice, which charges 5 euros to enter the city for day travelers who don’t stay overnight.
Or again, to see Da Vinci’s Last Supper in Milan, tickets must be booked weeks in advance, to avoid irreparable damage to the work, visitors are limited to about 30 at a time within for a maximum of 15 minutes.
Not enough workers
Not only are there too many tourists, but there are not enough people to serve them.
The Italian Association of Employment Agencies (Assolavoro) has noted that there is a lack of staff to work in the hotel and beach sectors this summer as the country expects a new record number of tourists.
In Sardinia, for example, about 25,000 seasonal workers are needed.
Reservations are difficult
Such high demand from travelers also makes hotel and restaurant reservations difficult.
On Lake Como, it’s almost impossible to get a reservation at the Veranda restaurant – a favorite of George Clooney.
But if one really wants to mingle with the vips, they can book the famous Villa La Cassinella on the lake for just… 100,000 euros per week.