Monday, August 19, 2024 Tourism surge disrupts local life, overcrowding public spaces and driving up prices, leaving residents struggling as essential services are replaced by eateries. In Riomaggiore, one of the five breathtaking villages forming the Cinque Terre along Italy’s northwestern coastline, nearly everyone holds a memory of the Via dell’Amore, also known as Love’s Lane. When Vittoria Capellini’s father was a young boy, his mother would instruct him to “run as fast as you can” over the more precarious sections of the path on his way to school, aware of the trail’s unstable cliff faces.
A rockslide in 2012 forced the closure of the trail, disappointing trekkers from around the globe and frustrating locals who lost easy access to services, schools, shops, and connections with friends and family. The only alternatives were overcrowded trains, ferries, or a strenuous hike through the hills. After a €24 million (S$35 million) renovation to stabilize the cliffs and prevent future incidents, the trail reopened to tourists in August.
Local officials are now considering the impact this reopening will have on an area that has seen a massive increase in visitors in recent years. When the Via dell’Amore closed 12 years ago, the region attracted around 870,000 visitors annually. By 2023, that number had skyrocketed to approximately four million, despite the local population being only around 4,000.
The surge in tourism has significantly altered life for many re.