Countless major cities and historic sites are forced to impose restrictions to ease the crowds, chaos and damage caused by tourists.
Global tourism has not only returned to pre-coronavirus levels, but is also on the rise again. Of course, those who are interested in this sector must be looking at all this with pleasure, but there are many worrying processes taking place in the background due to the overcrowding of the various destinations.
By now it has become common that gondolas almost never rest in Venice, Barcelona is no longer marked with a city map in some atlases, but with a large “full” sign, Dubrovnik was flooded with Game of Thrones fans taking photos at the filming locations, and Plitvice Lakes only with pre-purchased tickets we can enter. These are just a few examples, but they are only nuisances compared to what they cause at some historical sites.
One of the world’s most famous sights is in great danger
The Acropolis of Athens is undoubtedly one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. In the high season, up to tens of thousands of visitors enter the citadel, which is also referred to as the cradle of democracy.
Acropolis. (Photo: AdÃl BÃkefi / Getty Images Hungary)
This huge number of visitors seems unsustainable: it causes damage to the stone of the building, which also preserves traces of the original primitive cults and the monumental phases before and after Classicism. These damages lead to irreversible destruction, and it is feared that the cradle of ancient Western culture may succumb to this within the foreseeable future. In response to this, the Greek government recently introduced that the attraction can be visited outside of opening hours, thus reducing the crowd.
In groups of five, visitors can explore the site outside of normal opening hours. However, this tour has a hefty price tag: 5,000 euros (1.9 million forints).
The situation is no better in Rome
The Italian capital is the mecca of historical sites from the former Roman Empire. In Rome, among other things, visits to the Trevi Fountain were restricted, and nowadays anyone who sits on the Spanish Steps already pays a fine of 250 euros (HUF 100,000). The main attraction of the city is the Roman Colosseum, the restoration of which has been practically continuous since 2013. There is always something to be done on the monumental building, which once hosted gladiator fights, as it is constantly eroding.
Coliseum. (Photo: Manfred Gottschalk / Getty Images Hungary)
(Cover image: Tourists around the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Photo: Anadolu/Getty)
Tags: Velvet Checkout Tourists causing lot trouble popular historical sites
