Visitor Numbers at Pompeii, Ancient City of Italy, to Be Limited

Italian tourism officials have announced that starting next week, to prevent uncontrolled tourism and to protect the unique archaeological sites of Pompeii, the number of visitors will be limited to 20,000 per day. Each visitor will be issued a ticket with their name and details. The ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii, located near Naples, were destroyed in the first century AD by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and are one of Italy's most important tourist attractions, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 2013, UNESCO warned that improper protection and restoration of Pompeii could endanger it. According to statistics from the Italian tourism office, this summer, the number of visitors to Pompeii exceeded four million, setting an unprecedented record. The director of the archaeological site stated that the current number of visitors exceeds the average of 15,000 to 20,000 per day, and the new cap will prevent excessive visitor numbers. He added, 'We are adjusting and implementing new plans to reduce the pressure from the large number of visitors, which can be dangerous for both the vulnerable archaeological sites in Pompeii and the visitors themselves.' Starting from November 25, tickets issued for visiting this archaeological site will include the buyers' details, including their full names. A maximum of 20,000 tickets will be sold each day, and specific hours will be set for entry during the summer season. The managers of the archaeological site are also launching a free bus service to encourage tourists to visit other nearby historical sites, including Stabiae, Oplontis, and Boscoreale. The director of Pompeii stated, 'Limiting visitor numbers and selling tickets containing personal information of tourists is part of this program. Our goal is to reduce the pressures and dangers of uncontrolled visits to the ruins of Pompeii while also encouraging people to visit other unique archaeological sites in the area, all of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.' Last year, the city of Venice implemented an entrance fee for large groups of tourists entering the historical center of the city. This measure aims to limit the influx of large groups arriving by cruise ships who only spend a few hours visiting Venice's center. A five-euro ticket for entering the center of Venice was only implemented during the peak tourist season (from the beginning to the end of July), and the Venice municipality announced that this preventive measure was aimed at preventing damage to the historical center of the city and responding to UNESCO's warnings that if the old fabric of Venice is not protected, it will be removed from the World Heritage list.