Italy’s most photographed coastal and historic sites are being swamped by holidaymakers this spring, with streets in Positano, the Cinque Terre villages and Rome choked by throngs of visitors. residents report being locked inside their homes as tourists block entrances and narrow alleys,while social‑media videos show endless lines of people snapping photos and crowding public transport.

Positano’s sun‑kissed promenade becomes a tourist bottleneck

Footage posted online shows Positano’s famed cliffside walkways packed with people stopping to photograph the sea and pastel buildings. The surge has forced shopfronts to close their doors,leaving locals unable to access their businesses. Former mayor Salvatore Gagliano called the scene “straight out of the Third World,” highlighting how the town’s infrastructure is straining under the pressure.

Cinque Terre’s trains and buses overflow with day‑trippers

In the rugged Cinque Terre, videos reveal buses and regional trains packed beyond capacity as tourists scramble for limited seats. The “eat and run” ("mordi e fuggi") pattern—short visits with minimal spending—has amplified the strain, according to commentators who note that these visitors contribute little to the local economy while overwhelming services.

Rome’s ancient streets turn into a “hellscape” for residents

Rome’s iconic sites, including the Colosseum, are now described on social media as a “hellscape” due to lines of hundreds of tourists winding through historic streets. one resident filmed a stairwell where visitors flood in, blocking passage for locals and creating safety concerns in the densely built city centre.

Local officials accused of tolerating the mess

Antonio Attianese, a resident of nearby Nocera Inferiore,told reporters that “Mayors and administrators of the Amalfi Coast like this mess, otherwise they would have already issued orders to civilise this mass tourism.” The comment underscores a perceived lack of decisive action from municipal leaders, despite the problem worsening each year.

Who will curb the tide? Unanswered questions about regulation

The article does not specify any concrete measures being considered by Italian authorities, leaving three key uncertainties: whether caps on daily visitor numbers will be imposed, how “eat and run” tourists might be discouraged, and what enforcement mechanisms could be deployed to protect resident access.

According to the source, similar overcrowding woes are also reported in Venice, Barcelona, Dubrovnik and other European hotspots,suggesting a continent‑wide challenge that extends beyond Italy’s borders.