One Of Italy's Most Iconic Tourist Destinations Will Restrict The Number Of Daily Visitors

People all over the world are able to travel now more than ever but some destinations obviously receive much higher volumes than others. Whether this is due to the "Rick Steves Effect" or near centuries of alluring popularity, not every destination benefits from visits from the masses. Places like Venice have even implemented limits on tour group sizes. Such limits are aimed to protect valuable, fragile, or historic locations from overtourism. As of November 2024, another beloved ancient attraction in Italy will usher in similar rules.

Between Naples and Sorrento is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pompeii. This city was famously destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E., leaving its citizens eerily frozen in earthy casts. Archaeologists rediscovered the city and began excavating in the late 1500s. Today, conditions of this Roman civilization's remains like roads, temples, and the Forum vary, but are on display for tourists to learn more about this historic event. Some of the most fascinating and tragic features of a visit to Pompeii are the bodies of victims that were preserved in volcanic ash from the eruption. It's a place unlike any other and definitely worth the visit. However, site managers are now limiting visitors to 20,000 per day after experiencing years of surging numbers. From 2000 to 2023, annual visitors to Pompeii have nearly doubled from around 2 million to almost 4 million. The site's 2023 numbers were even higher than in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Natural spaces and cities both feel the detrimental effects of too many humans, but places with ancient structures are all the more vulnerable. The volcanic elements which covered Pompeii allowed it to be somewhat locked in time, giving amazing insights into ancient Roman life. This makes Pompeii particularly important for archaeologists and Italians seeking to understand and preserve their history. In fact, new excavations are often in progress around the area. Researchers have found everything from bread loaves to mosaics during these projects.

Pompeii rarely sees more than 20,000 visitors per day, so don't worry too much if you have Pompeii on your European bucket list. Just watch out for its days of free admission on the first Sunday of every month as these usually draw the most tourists. Like with many popular destinations in Europe, January through March and November through December are much less hectic times for Pompeii, making the off season an even better experience for you, site staff, and archaeologists. You can also use free shuttle buses to check out nearby but lesser-visited UNESCO sites that once felt the wrath of Vesuvius, which include Castellammare di Stabiae, Torre Annunziata, and Boscoreale.