Alarm in one of the tourist hotspots in Italy.
A mayor of the Cinque Terre warns of the collapse and calls for a "special law".
Genoa /La Spezia - Tourists are a blessing and a curse at the same time for the tranquil and fantastically situated villages of the Cinque Terre.
To the south of Genoa, the villages are lined up between the steep coastal slope and the Mediterranean Sea.
And there is hardly a travel guide for Italy in which these pearls are not praised for those who love to travel.
But the mass of guests causes big problems in the Cinque Terre.
Those responsible on site are sounding the alarm - "there is a risk of collapse", headlines the largest Italian newspaper
La Repubblica
.
Because there are simply so many tourists that the towns are reaching the limits of their infrastructure.
Tourist hotspot in Italy sounds the alarm: on the verge of collapse
"The situation has proved critical on the points indicated, particularly in Manarola on the platforms, in the tunnel and in the marinas," explains Fabrizia Pecunia, mayor of Riomaggiore, to
Repubblica
.
The situation is particularly problematic in the towns of Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso.
According to the mayor, there is an urgent need for a "special law" that gives the local authorities the opportunity to direct and control the flow of visitors.
“It is no longer possible to postpone the reflection on the management of flows.
Otherwise the years are numbered from a tourism point of view,” she explains.
Cinque Terre wants "special law" - to protect against tourist collapse
Together they have already commissioned a study on mobility.
These will be presented shortly.
On this basis, they want to bring the issue to the city council.
The goal: "We need a special law for the Cinque Terre, legal instruments in the hands of the mayors to intervene".
Rediscover a country: you have never seen Italy like this
Rediscover a country: you have never seen Italy like this
Currently, the villages are simply powerless in the face of the large number of tourists - there is no opportunity to take countermeasures.
Now they want to create laws and options for action at the local political level.
However, it is not yet known what these will look like and what consequences this could have for tourists.
The Cinque Terre are not alone with this idea.
Because of mass tourism, a number of regions in Italy are demanding new requirements.
(rjs)
