Summer 2016: Cinque Terre will preserve landscape with maximum 1.5 million visitors

Cinque Terre, one of the most fabulous territories in the Liguria region, Italy, has decided to limit its visitors to 1,5 millions for summer 2016. The objective is to preserve the landscape and local culture.

1,5 millions of visitors seems a pretty high number, and yet this beautifully shaped and rugged coastal area, covered with villages and buildings of all colors and surrounded by the blue sea, collect so many more each year: its decision for summer 2016 therefore seems a severe reduction of the usual number of tourists visiting the area. The Cinque Terre, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage, is at risk of seeing its coastal area wrecked by cruise ships and people.

According to TheGuardian, “Residents say day-trippers from cruise ships docking at nearby ports have overwhelmed their communities and the head of the Cinque Terre park said no more than 1.5 million visitors would be let in this year”.

Residents are pretty sure they will be criticized for their decision, and yet they call it “a question of survival”, especially because the area is already under thread from mudslides and rockfalls, and has to be protected.

In order to monitor the number of tourists, Cinque Terre will be equipped with specific technological devices, tickets will be sold and an app will inform tourist about the congestion in the villages.