- A cap of 20,000 visitors daily in Pompeii begins November 15.
- In 2023, more than four million visitors frequented the city.
- Free entry days have led to record-breaking visitor numbers.
- Other tourist hotspots like Venice are implementing visitor control measures.
- Tour groups in Venice face new restrictions on size and equipment use.
Starting on November 15, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii will limit daily visitors to 20,000. Tickets will include visitor names, a step reflecting past overcrowding where visitor numbers soared beyond 4 million during summer.
The newly implemented measures aim to manage foot traffic and protect the site’s unique heritage and visitor safety, especially in emergencies. The park director highlighted goals for sustainable tourism, enhancing the visitor experience and distributing visitors across other local historical attractions like Boscoreale and Torre Annunziata.
We are working on a series of projects to reduce the anthropic pressure on the site, which can be a risk both for people, for example in the event of an earthquake, and for the heritage, so unique and fragile. In particular, we are working to expand the usable areas in the ancient city and to develop the other sites in the area, including Boscoreale, Torre Annunziata, Villa dei Misteri, Civita Giuliana and Stabia. We are aiming for slow, sustainable, pleasant and non-mass tourism and above all spread throughout the area around the UNESCO site, which is full of cultural jewels to discover. The measures to manage flows and the safety and personalization of the visit are part of this strategy. Experience shows that only those who focus on quality grow in a sustainable way and we are focusing on this, trying at the same time to help the area and the operators in the sector who are working in a context that has profoundly changed after the pandemic and that will change again. These changes must be managed in a shared and proactive manner and not passively endured. In this initial phase we will closely observe the situation and continue the dialogue with all stakeholders to adjust the course if necessary.
Summer Entry Schedule
A strategic visitor flow is planned, split into time slots during the peak months of April to October:
- 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM: 15,000 total entries
- 12,000 for Pompeii Express
- 3,000 for Pompeii Plus
- 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM: 5,000 total entries
- 3,000 for Pompeii Express
- 2,000 for Pompeii Plus
Both onsite and online ticket purchases will require identification.
Key Measures
- Daily Visitor Cap: 20,000 limit
- Name-Based Tickets: Personalized tickets mandatory
- Time Slots: Peak season access management
- Increased Area Accessibility: Expanding visitable sites
- Sustaining Local Tourism: Promote a slower, more enjoyable exploration style
These changes intend to balance heritage conservation with visitor accessibility while boosting local tourism sustainably. Observations and stakeholder feedback will guide future adaptations to ensure effective implementation.
