Italy is preparing for a record wave of tourists, but is struggling to cope

Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy – When boat drivers start complaining about the tourists crowding this famous lake resort, where Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce stayed at Villa Sola Cabiati in Tremezzo two weeks ago after her series of concerts in Paris, you know you’ve a problem

“There are days when the traffic is at a standstill and you can’t move,” our driver said. He makes his living driving tourists up and down the lake for famous mountain views and 19th-century villas like Villa del Balbianello, where parts of “Casino Royale” and “Star Wars: Episode II” were filmed

He considers himself lucky to be a boat driver: he pities the poor tourists who rent cars or try to find an elusive taxi.

“Some days it can take an hour to cover 10 kilometers [about 6 miles]he said, noting that the small two-lane roads can not only handle the traffic, but also the larger cars being built. “In many cities, traffic can only flow in one direction, so everyone has to wait,” he said

I can’t live with them, I can’t live without them

Italy is in an envious trap: it cannot live without tourists, but it is struggling to cope with the influx, especially after Covid. Last year, sixty million tourists flooded the country, pumping a huge amount of money into the economy. According to Statista, tourism accounted for 10.2% of Italy’s GDP in 2022. The sector employs approximately 4.4 million people, approximately 16% of total employment.

The problem of ‘too many tourists’ may seem like a problem that any country would like to have, but in recent years the influx of visitors has become so bad that Italian authorities have had to take measures to prevent damage to centuries-old structures that cannot handle the pressure. to manage. so many visitors. Venice, for example, charges 5 euros to enter the city for day travelers who are not staying overnight.

Want to see Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’ in Milan? Good luck: the tickets sell out weeks in advance and to prevent irreparable damage to the painting, a maximum of 30 visitors are allowed at a time, for a maximum of 15 minutes.

Not only are there too many tourists, there are not enough people to serve them

The Italian Association of Employment Agencies (Assolavoro) noted that there is a shortage of staff in the hotel and beach sector this summer, which is expected to bring a new record for tourists. There is a shortage of chefs and waiters in Marche. About 25,000 seasonal workers are needed in Sardinia

Italy a bargain? Not quite, but there is a lot of valuea

Food is still surprisingly affordable, at least compared to New York prices. An espresso in Milan, an hour away, costs 1 euro (about $1.10). Croissants for two or three euros

At the famous Trattoria Milanese in central Milan, a generous portion of the city’s two most famous dishes – Milanese veal and osso bucco with Milanese risotto, costs only about $30-$35 each, and there’s a lot to get. cheaper in lesser known places. Excellent local wines can be purchased for $20-$30 in restaurants and $10 in the supermarket.

Even Milan’s famous bars aren’t stratospheric. At Camparino in the Galleria, one of Italy’s temples of cocktail culture, you can get a negroni or Aperol spritz for $20, prepared by ridiculously good-looking 25-year-old waiters in formal clothes preening for the very dressed-up crowd strolls past, on the way to an evening of opera at La Scala.Â

Due to the large number of visitors, reservations are difficult to obtain. Here on Lake Como, it’s still almost impossible to get a reservation at the Veranda restaurant at one of George Clooney’s favorite haunts, Villa D’Este (if you’re lucky enough to get one). , make sure you show up: no-shows will be charged 100 euros per person

Clooney himself lives down the street in Villa Oleandra, which was featured in his film ‘Ocean’s Twelve’.

Of course, if you really want to hang out with the A-list, there are no bargains. The famous lakeside Villa La Cassinella can be yours, for 100,000 euros per week. A wedding at Villa Balbiano can cost 320,000 euros, but we are talking about 110 people for 3 days. The same 110 wedding guests will set you back 250,00-500,000 euros at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.Â

Thinking about calling Uber? Forget it

It’s not just hard to get a reservation: it’s also hard to get a taxi to get there. Or anywhere.

Sharing the phone numbers of reliable private taxi drivers is something of an obsession on Lake Como, where the roads are so narrow and busy and taxis so few and far between that even short journeys must be booked in advance.

It was so difficult to get around, even in Milan, that I just hired the taxi driver to pick us up from the airport for two days. I was surprised that the only Uber options were expensive black cars.

My driver became irate when I mentioned Uber

“These people are trying to steal the taxi drivers’ jobs,” he shouted. “They are taking my job. The politicians have been paid to let them into the country.” He planned to go on strike next week. , together with the other taxi drivers

He doesn’t have to worry much

“The Uber service you know in North America, where private individuals drive their own cars, has been illegal in Italy since 2015,” travel writer Rick Steves said in a note to his readers last year.

“Only licensed taxi and limousine drivers can provide that service. As a result, Uber does provide a service in Italy (called Uber Black, Uber Van), but when you call for a car from Uber, a licensed official black limousine driver with a luxury car will show up and as a result the price will be higher than that of a regular taxi,” Steves advised

A bit higher. Uber wanted 100 euros to take me less than a mile, a 10 minute ride, into the center of Milan. I paid the taxi driver 170 euros for five hours.

Still, standing for the “Last Supper,” even for 15 minutes, provides one of those sublime experiences that makes the hassle worth it.

I was glad it only took 15 minutes. I had to get out and call the restaurant we were going to that evening for a reservation, and make sure I had a taxi to get there. Being a tourist in Italy turns into a full-time job.