Italy is preparing for a record wave of tourists, but cannot cope with them

Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy. When boat drivers start complaining about tourists flocking to this famous lakeside resort where Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey stayed at Villa Sola Cabiati in Tremezzo two weeks ago following a series of her Paris concerts, you know you’ve got a problem.

“There are days when traffic stops and you can’t move,” our driver told us. He makes his living taking tourists up and down the lake to admire the famous mountain views and 19th-century villas such as Villa del Balbianello, where parts of Casino Royale and Star Wars: Episode II were filmed.

He considers himself lucky to be a boat driver: he feels sorry for the poor tourists who rent cars or try to find an elusive taxi.

“On some days, covering 10 kilometers can take an hour. [about 6 miles]” he said, noting that tiny two-lane roads not only cannot handle the traffic, but also the large cars that are being built. “In many cities, traffic can only go in one direction, so everyone has the opportunity to wait,” he said. he said.

I can’t live with them, I can’t live without them.

Italy has fallen into the trap of envy: it cannot live without tourists, but it does not cope well with the influx, especially after Covid. Sixty million tourists flooded the country last year, pumping a huge amount of money into the economy. Travel and tourism accounted for 10.2% of Italy’s GDP in 2022, according to Statista. The sector employs about 4.4 million people, representing about 16% of total employment.

The problem of “too many tourists” may seem like a problem the country wants to have, but in recent years the influx of visitors has become so heavy that Italian authorities have had to take measures to avoid damage to centuries-old buildings that cannot cope with the influx of tourists. crowd of so many visitors. For example, Venice charges a €5 entry fee for travelers not staying overnight.

Want to see Da Vinci’s Last Supper in Milan? Good luck: tickets are sold out weeks in advance, and to avoid irreparable damage to the picture, the number of visitors is limited to approximately 30 at a time for a maximum of 15 minutes.

Not only are there too many tourists, but there are also not enough people to serve them.

The Italian Association of Employment Agencies (Assolavoro) noted that this summer there is a shortage of staff to work in the hotel and beach sectors, which is expected to be a new record for tourists. There are not enough cooks and waiters in Marche. Sardinia requires approximately 25,000 seasonal workers.

Is Italy a bargain? Not really, but there’s a lot of value in it.

The food is still surprisingly affordable, at least compared to New York prices. An espresso in Milan, an hour’s drive away, can be purchased for 1 euro (about $1.10). Croissants for two or three euros.

At the famous Milano Trattoria in the center of Milan, a generous portion of two of the city’s most famous dishes, veal Milanese and osso bucco with risotto Milanese, will set you back just $30 to $35 each, and you can get them for much less in Milan. lesser known places. Outstanding local wines can be purchased for $20-30 in restaurants and $10 in the supermarket.

Even Milan’s famous bars aren’t stratospheric. At Camparino in the Galleria, one of Italy’s temples of cocktail culture, you can drink a Negroni or Aperol for $20, prepared by ridiculously handsome 25-year-old waiters in formal attire preening before a strolling, dressed-up crowd. passing by on his way to an evening of opera at La Scala.

The influx of visitors means it’s difficult to book a table. Here on Lake Como, it’s still virtually impossible to book a table at the Veranda restaurant at one of George Clooney’s favorite haunts, Villa D’Este (if you’re lucky, be sure to show up: there’s a no-show fee). 100 euros per person).

Clooney himself lives down the street in Villa Oleandra, which was featured in his film Ocean’s Twelve.

Of course, if you really want to mingle with the A-list, there won’t be any deals. The famous villa La Cassinella on the lake can be yours for 100,000 euros per week. A wedding at Villa Balbiano can cost 320,000 euros, but we are talking about 110 people for 3 days. The same 110 wedding guests will cost you 250–500,000 euros at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.

Thinking about calling Uber? Forget it

Not only is it difficult to book a table, but also to call a taxi to get there. Or anywhere.

Exchanging the phone numbers of reliable private taxi drivers is something of an obsession on Lake Como, where the roads are so narrow and crowded and taxis few and far between that even short trips must be booked in advance.

Getting around was so difficult, even in Milan, that I simply hired a taxi driver to pick us up at the airport for two days. What puzzled me was that Uber’s only options were expensive black cars.

My driver got furious when I mentioned Uber.

“These people are trying to take jobs away from taxi drivers,” he shouted. “They are taking my job away. Politicians were paid to let them into the country.” He planned to go on strike next week along with other taxi drivers.

He has nothing to worry about.

“The Uber service you’re familiar with in North America, where individuals drive their own cars, has been illegal in Italy since 2015,” travel writer Rick Steves said in a note to his readers last year.

“Only licensed taxi and limousine drivers can provide this service. As a result, Uber does provide a service in Italy (called Uber Black, Uber Van), but when you call a car through Uber, a licensed official black limousine driver in a luxury car will arrive, and as a result the price will be higher than for a regular taxi,” advised Steves.

Much higher. Uber wanted a ride to the center of Milan for 100 euros, less than a mile and in 10 minutes. I paid the taxi driver 170 euros for five hours.

However, standing before the Last Supper, even for 15 minutes, is one of those sublime experiences that makes the trouble worth it.

I was glad it only lasted 15 minutes. I had to go out to call the restaurant we were going to that night to make a reservation and make sure I had a taxi to get there. Being a tourist in Italy turns into a full-time job.