The Italian island of Capri has announced new tourism rules that will come into force this summer.
The upmarket destination is cracking down on tour groups, which it says clog the narrow streets and disturb residents and other travellers.
New regulations will see group numbers capped and guides banned from using loudspeakers and umbrellas.
Threat to Capri’s tranquil atmosphere
Capri receives up to 50,000 daily visitors in peak season, a number far exceeding the resident population of roughly 13,000 to 15,000.
While the island has long marketed itself as a tranquil and elegant destination, crowds of unwieldy daytrippers are not part of the vision.
As early as the 1950s, the destination imposed etiquette rules on visitors; wearing wooden clogs and having radios playing loudly was forbidden.
The latest threat to the island’s exclusive atmosphere are tour groups. Authorities say too many are noisy and poorly organised, overwhelming the island’s narrow lanes and scenic viewpoints.
Capri cracks down on large tour groups
The new regulations will only allow tour groups limited to 40 people to disembark on the island.
For groups of more than 20 people, loudspeakers are no longer permitted. Participants must be provided with headphones or earpieces to listen to their guide.
Guide and leaders are only permitted to carry a discreet sign or regulation paddle to identify themselves. They are forbidden from using other conspicuous items like umbrellas or flags.
Groups are obliged to stick close together and not affect the safety or comfort of other visitors. Guides must ensure that groups do not occupy excessive amounts of space and leave room for other tourists.
‘Tourists? All of them, but not at once’
Residents and tourism operators have praised the move.
“This is an act of responsibility that reflects our vision of an island that is finally more livable,” said Lorenzo Coppola, president of Capri’s hotelier association.
“The new rules for organised groups are indispensable tools for decongesting critical areas, giving back breathing space to our pedestrian routes.”
Gianluigi Lembo, owner of the famous Anema e Core tavern, where the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey and Leonardo DiCaprio have partied, emphasised that the new rules benefit all visitors, not just VIPs.
“Tourists? All of them, but not all at once. I’m not for first- or second-class visitors, and no one should be excluded,” he told Italian daily Corriere del Mezzogiorno.
“But there must also be a limit on groups because space on the island is limited. So, I welcome the cap, which I don’t see as protecting just VIP tourism, but for everyone.”
Capri’s mayor, Paolo Falco, has also said the council is working on new measures to control boat traffic at Marina Grande port, where visitors arrive and gather to take the funicular or buses to Capri centre or the quieter town of Anacapri on the west side of the island.
He told Italian media this could include limiting disembarkation to certain times. “We are studying this and port security extensively, and we will be able to resolve it well before the summer,” he said.
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