Pompeii Archaeological Park has introduced new admission restrictions to combat overtourism at the historic site.
The park will limit daily attendance to 20,000 people and will also introduce new individual tickets for those visiting the site, park officials said Friday, according to the Associated Press. .
Park officials reported record visitor numbers this summer, with more than 4 million people passing through.
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Buried in ashes by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, the ancient Roman city of Pompeii has become a popular tourist destination for history buffs who want to see its ruins.
Pompeii Archaeological Park will be capping visitors at 20,000 per day after more than 4 million tourists visited the historic site this summer. (AP Photo/Jim Bordier)
“We are concerned about the potential human impact on this site that could pose a risk both to visitors and (to) a very unique and fragile heritage site,” said the park’s director, Gabriel Zustriegel, according to the paper. “We are working on a series of projects to alleviate the pressure.” A.P.
Zuchtriegel said the average number of visitors is between 15,000 and more than 20,000 daily, and the new cap will help prevent a spike.
The new personalized tickets, which include the visitor’s full name, will officially go on sale on November 15th. Additionally, only 20,000 tickets will be sold each day, with different time slots available during high tourist seasons.
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In an effort to attract tourists to other ancient sites associated with Pompeii, park management is offering free shuttle buses to other historic sites such as Stabia, Torre Annunziata and Boscoreale as part of the “Greater Pompeii” project. will be provided, the Associated Press reported. Reported.
Before entering Pompeii Park in Italy, each visitor’s ticket will also have their full name printed on it. (AP photo)
“Measures to manage circulation and safety and personalization of visits are part of this strategy,” Zuchtriegel said.
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“We aim for slow, sustainable, comfortable and non-popular tourism, and above all to spread widely throughout the region around the UNESCO World Heritage Site, where there are many cultural gems to discover. ‘ he added.
It’s not the first Italian landmark to take steps to avoid overtourism after a busy year for travel.
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Fox News previously reported that the famous Trevi Fountain has developed a series of plans to reveal new timed reservations to limit the number of people who can gather around the iconic site.
If you want to visit the historic city of Pompeii and see its ruins, you must book your ticket in advance to meet the deadline. (AP Photo/Jim Bordier)
“The situation at the Trevi Fountain has become technically very difficult to manage,” Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said at a press conference, according to Reuters, adding that the measure was “a very concrete possibility.” he added.
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FOX News Digital has reached out to Italy’s Ministry of Tourism and Pompeii Archaeological Park for comment.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
