A corner of beauty in the world, already a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, with almost 4 thousand hectares of territory, 130 kilometers of paths, 5 villages, 4 thousand inhabitants, 7 thousand kilometers of dry stone walls and 4,500 hectares of protected marine area.
But also 3.4 million tourist inflows in 2023, almost 2 thousand on a peak day arriving by private transport.
These are the numbers that tell, and risk crushing, a unique and fragile territory like the Cinque Terre National Park, in Liguria.
A "case" that brings it closer, albeit with different peculiarities, to large cities of art such as Venice (where from 25 April the entrance ticket will be tested) or Florence (which has instead intervened on B&Bs in the historic centre) and which brought Overtourism to the center of the conference today?
Reflections for the protection of national heritage and sustainable tourism.
The case of the Cinque Terre Park, organized with the representation in Italy of the European Commission and with the Office in Italy of the European Parliament.
An opportunity for reflection between institutions and operators on the increasingly impactful phenomenon of mass tourism in our country.
"Tourism is a fundamental industrial sector - begins the director of the European Parliament in Italy Carlo Corazza -. It is 10% of the GDP, not only in Italy and France, but also in countries like Germany. 25% of the employees then have less than thirty years. But in 2030 there will be 2 billion travelers in the world and the management of flows is one of the structural problems that politics must deal with."
"As European Commissioner - agrees Massimo Pronio, Head of Communications of the European Commission Representation in Italy - I think we have not done too much for tourism".
Variable rates, management models with artificial intelligence, mandatory reservations, infrastructure: there are many possible interventions.
"Mass tourism is a global problem which however requires local responses, closely linked to knowledge of the peculiarities of the territory - comments the president of the Cinque Terre Park, Donatella Bianchi - Ours is not a problem of land consumption or environmental impact , as much as a social problem: ensuring that inhabitants of the Cinque Terre remain and can work there".
The study drawn up by Mic Hub on the flows and solutions undertaken by the Park (ranging from the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism to the Voluntary review in implementation of the 2030 Agenda) shows that the majority of tourists are concentrated in a very narrow and more easily usable: 1.3 square kilometers of territory, equal to just 3%.
After the pandemic, the sale of multi-service cards recorded a +12% compared to 2019, an already important year of attendance.
In 2023, accesses will reach 3.4 million visitors.
85-90% between April and September, but the real criticality is around 20 days a year between weekends, long weekends and holidays.
Over 70% arrive by train, 15% by boat, 9% by car or motorbike and only 2% by tourist bus, as many as on foot.
"We don't want fewer tourists, we want to manage them in a sustainable way", continues Bianchi, who calls for "a national table that puts models and solutions online. At the park - he adds - this year we will reopen the Via dell'Amore, but we must all be able to travel the 130 kilometers of paths, inform the visitor that there may be a red light and one-way streets".
"Tourism in Liguria - adds the President of the Region Giovanni Toti - is growing perhaps more than other parts of Italy. We need to work on seasonal rates, with tour operators, plan and improve the infrastructure, from car parks to stations. complex work that requires the collaboration of all entities".
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