Italy moves to cap the daily visitors allowed at Pompeii
Once travel returned in full force after pandemic restrictions were lifted, the tourism industry boomed. After being stuck at home for so long, people seemed to realize how valuable these experiences truly are. The downside has been the overwhelming number of visitors heading for some locations, leading the people who run them to find new ways of managing those numbers. Balancing preservation with access is no simple task.
The Archaeological Park of Pompeii can be added to that list. This huge Italian tourist venue has boomed in popularity, attracting anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 visitors per day. These numbers are a huge jump. Given new discoveries at the site, it's not hard to imagine that fascination with Pompeii and its story is on the rise. Keep in mind that the story of Pompeii has become somewhat legendary, a testament to the power of nature.
Those who manage the Pompeii archaeological site have recognized that they have reached a tipping point. Getting this level of interest is good for Italy and its archaeological wonders. At the same time, increased traffic leads to more damage being done to the site. For now, management has capped daily visitors at 20,000. They are currently comfortable with those numbers, though that could change if concerns about maintaining Pompeii continue to grow.
Located near Naples in Italy, Pompeii was a city that suffered a terrible fate. In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius suffered a catastrophic eruption that lasted for two days, covering nearby Pompeii in up to six meters of ash and pumice. While most residents escaped, hundreds were killed. It preserved the city in the state it was left in at the time of evacuation. This has provided archaeologists and researchers with a bounty of information about the era and has become a tourism hot spot.