Overtourism isn’t just something which hampers daily life for local people in Europe’s cities – its mountains are affected, too.
As the Mediterranean continues to be scorched in the peak summer months, travellers are turning to higher ground for their summer vacations, and the Dolomites, a magnificent mountain range in northern Italy, has soared in popularity.
But thanks to some independent action taken by local landowners, there’s one hiking trail where you’ll now be subject to a €5 fee – well, sort of.
The Seceda mountain is a go-to for visitors to photograph those famous, spiky Odle Peaks, but the spot’s social media fame has meant that life for residents in the nearby area of South Tyrol has become trickier.
According to euronews, 8,000 people walked the path on a single day last week, and those numbers can lead not only to severe crowding, but also damage to the natural environment and farmers’ crops. In fact, South Tyrol is reportedly up there with Venice when it comes to exposure to overcrowding, according to research by the Demoskopika Institute.
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So, that’s why landowners took it upon themselves to install a turnstile at the beginning of the trail in early July, with a €5 fee for entry, which they say is to compensate for the damage to their land and help fund the maintenance of the slopes.
Puez-Odle Nature Park authorities quickly deactivated the turnstile, but the system has since been reinstated. The landowners claim that the turnstile is a ‘cry for help’, according to Sky TG24, and is intended to provoke attention. They say they’ve received no acknowledgement from ‘political representatives, associations or organisations’.
Now, it seems that staff members from the Dolomites Val Gardena tourism association will be posted at the turnstile to explain that people don’t technically have to pay the fee, and they are recommending a similar, slightly longer route as an alternative.
But it seems like these landowners have got plenty of backing – Carlo Alberto Zanelle, president of the Club Alpino Italia South Tyrolean branch (which is a national hiking association) said ‘it serves to bring a real problem to public attention’.
Heading to the Dolomites for hiking soon? Keep an eye on this page for updates.
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