Located on the east coast ofthe Italian island of Sicily, Mount Etna is the world's most active volcano. Chances are it's spewing lava out at this very moment. Locals have become used to the volcano's ongoing shenanigans and know how to handle it. Tourist, on the other hand, are a completely different story. Despite the warnings to stay away and efforts to keep travelers back, they are still heading up the volcano to collect selfies and, apparently, injuries.
Sicily actually has a solid skiing scene, with the season running from roughly December to April. The peak is during the months of January and February. Apparently, the threat of being killed by a lava flow or crushed by falling debris wasn't enough to stop tourists from trying to ski the volcano. Throughout February,authorities had to deal with foreign skiers trespassingin the red zone and getting hurt. There were also groups of unprepared hikers on the volcano, also getting in trouble.
Making matters worse was the fact that tourists were leaving their rental cars on the few passable roads. This made it nearly impossible for rescuers to get to the injured and assist them. It was a horrible situation for everyone involved, one that should not have been happening in the first place. Common sense would seem to indicate that a volcano isn't a safe place to hang out. Yet, thousands oftourists willingly put themselves in harm's wayto chase Instagram glory.
In 2023,Sicily saw nearly six million foreign touristsarrive on the island, a number that will likely continue to grow as travel tastes continue to change. Mount Etna remains a huge draw for the island as there are limited options in the world to see an active volcano. But tourism cannot trump safety, which is something Sicilian authorities will continue to work on in the coming years.
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