Furious Italians have demanded the implementation of fresh restrictions on tourist traffic near a UNESCO site after chaotic scenes.
More than 30,000 people have called on local authorities in Italy’s northeastern region of Veneto to ban car traffic near the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, one of the most well-known peaks of the Dolomites.
The appeal, supported by a public petition, was launched amid concerns of the area coming under threat because of rampant overtourism.
Last week, visitors and locals lamented having to wait more than an hour just to access the trekking zone at the bottom of the range because of the uncontrolled number of tourists.
Excursionist Alessandro Barelli shared his frustration with the lack of control on social media after he was stuck waiting to visit the Tre Cime di Lavaredo earlier this month.
The Roman physician shared footage of his wait, saying: “We wanted to trek the Tre Cime di Lavaredo starting from the Auronzo refuge but we have been queuing with the car for an hour, we have done one kilometre.
“The question is: in the end, will they let us pass and park or will we stand in line and then have to go back?
“That is the toll booth to access, it is now closed because there are already 800 cars there. And now they will only let in as some cars leave. But it is unlikely that anyone will go out at 9 in the morning.”
Dr Barelli said he ended up leaving the queue to return just after lunch when traffic had become much more manageable.
The petition, created on July 31, has already surpassed 30,000 signatories and is appealing for the introduction of new restrictions to traffic to secure and protect the area.
It reads: “Car traffic at the Auronzo refuge has reached worrying levels. With a capacity of around 700 parking spaces, the car park sees significant occupancy especially in the summer months, with an estimated average (very optimistic!) of over 65 thousand vehicles reaching the area annually.
“This massive influx not only contributes to air and noise pollution but also accelerates soil erosion and disturbs local wildlife.”
The petition argues the solution to avoid a repeat of the chaotic scenes would be “the closure of the road leading to the Auronzo refuge to private traffic.”
It also noted that “the establishment of a line of electric buses or buses powered by green energy,” could further contribute to limiting the impact of overtourism.
Trentino Alto Adige is the latest region where locals have been calling for stricter rules for the access of tourists.
Venice earlier this year introduced a new daily fee for day trippers to access the main island as well as the popular Burano, Murano and Torcello. La Serenissima this summer further announced restrictions to group tour sizes to 25.
Florence has banned licences for short-lets in the city centre to push back on rising housing costs driven up by tourist demands.
