Italian hiking trails to be one-way only

Hiking paths along one of Italy’s most picturesque stretches of coastline are to be made one-way this week in the latest attempt to deal with over-tourism.

Walkers will only be allowed to set out in one direction along the narrow paths that link the five former fishing villages of the Cinque Terre in the northwestern region of Liguria.

The settlements are overlooked by steeply terraced cliffs that have been carved out over centuries to provide tiny strips of flat ground on which vines, olives and fruit trees are grown.

The measure has been introduced as Italy braces for huge numbers of tourists over a long weekend that revolves around April 25, commemorated as Liberation Day, when the country was freed from the Fascist regime and the Nazi occupation.

Millions of Italians will be on holiday, adding to the overcrowding expected from foreign tourists, many of whom have the Cinque Terre on their bucket lists.

Tourists charged €15

Hikers who want to tackle the Cinque Terre’s celebrated “sentiero azzurro” or blue footpath will have to start in the village of Monterosso and head east towards the hamlet of Vernazza.

Doing the walk the other way round will not be permitted. There will be checkpoints manned by police and national park officials.

“Attention, mandatory one way on the path from Monterosso to Vernazza,” reads a notice on the Cinque Terre National Park’s website.

The restrictions apply on April 25, 26, 27 and 28 as well as May 1.

Tourists will also have to pay €15 to embark on the hike.

“We are trying to manage the influx of people on the paths so as to protect the environment of the area and also the safety of visitors,” said Donatella Bianchi, the head of the national park authority.

Tourists are “often disappointed” by the crowds they encounter on the footpaths that link the five attractive coastal villages, she said.

Venice entrance fee

The restrictions come as Venice prepares to introduce an entrance fee for tourists.

The scheme begins on Thursday and continues until May 5. It will then apply every weekend until mid-July, for a total of 29 days this year.

The €5 fee will be levied on tourists who want to come to the lagoon city just for the day. Visitors who stay in a hotel for at least one night will be exempt on the basis that they are contributing more to the local economy.

“The measures will apply to people who don’t spend the night in a hotel,” said Silvia Donaggio, the head of a local branch of the Association of Authorised Tourist Guides.

There will be spot checks by Venetian officials to make sure people have paid the fee and downloaded a QR code to their mobile phones.

“We are the trailblazers for the rest of the world,” Simone Venturini, Venice’s councillor responsible for tourism, said recently.

He said the “contribution to access”, as Venetian authorities are calling it, is an experiment aimed at reducing tourist hordes and preserving the social fabric of normal life in Venice.

Proceeds from the scheme will help to pay for the upkeep and cleaning of the city, he said.