A proposal to limit the number of tourists in the Cinque Terre has caused a clamor among visitors who have booked upcoming trips and fear that they may not be allowed to visit, but they may not have to worry much longer.
Our local sources in Liguria say the five towns that make up Cinque Terre National Park asked the government to restrict the number of tourists allowed in, but that the proposal is unlikely to pass anytime soon.
According to the proposal, 1.5 million tourists per year would be allowed to visit Cinque Terre, 1 million fewer than the number of people who currently visit the national park annually. Visitors would have to buy a ticket in advance to gain entrance, and devices in the roads would detect how many people are entering and leaving the park. An app for visitors would show which towns are most crowded at any given point in time.
Last year, the five towns – Manarola (pictured), Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare – received 2.5 million visitors, including about 500,000 day trippers from docked cruise ships who overwhelmed the quaint, picturesque villages during peak season. The national park consists of the five coastal fishing villages and the clifftop hiking trails that connect them, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
By Kathy McCabe
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