One thing, that picture is a bit misleading. It is right next to the Forum which is generally a crossroads for visitors and more crowded. Even with a crowd like this at the Forum, there are many, many streets where you can be alone to ponder Pompei. Check out Castellum Aquae, Villa dei Misteri, House of the Tragic Poet, the Porta Nocera Necropolis, the Palestra Grande, the original plumbing along the streets, the working fountains for drinking water. Many of the tour groups don't venture to all the sites.
4
I was fortunate enough to visit Pompeii a few years ago. It was one of those places I had always dreamt of seeing. Italy is an incredibly beautiful place, filled with both natural and historical beauty. That being said it was very crowded. And when people gather in large numbers they seem to misbehave. I have no idea how to curb this unless they only allow in a certain number of people a day.
5
Sorry its the 52 Places to Go. Is this on the list?
1
I just keep thinking of that guy Sebastian flying around to 52 Places in a year.
Seems a very solvable problems. Quadruple ticket prices which will reduce crowds and provide a lot more money for guards and restoration.
9
I prefer Italy in winter. It’s a lot less crowded, but not empty like it used to be.
2
Go off season. Go early in the day and use the Ampitheater entrance. Don't do a day trip, support the town and stay a few days. I've been to Pompei twice in the last 2 years and went into the ruins at least 8 times. So much to see. Visit Herculaneum, Stabia, Oplontis. Climb Mt Vesuvius. Visit the national archeological museum in Naples. Loved every minute, will definitely visit again. Richly rewarding.
19
Another trick to some popular sightseeing is go early when it opens or go late just before it closes. Most organized groups and families get a slow start on the day and feel compelled to get back to hotel by 6 pm. 10-4 is busiest, so hitting the sites on the edges of its operating hours can be advantageous.
6
I’m a past visitor with numerous trips and experiences, visiting independently when the site was far less busy and more recently on two conducted tours.
The site has ALWAYS been fragile (my first visit was in 1970). Much investment and effort has gone into stabilizing and researching the site in the past ten years or so, but I don’t think it has been able to keep up with the number of guests.
The number and quality of guards has varied immensely in the half century I’ve been visiting.
My advice would be this: restrict access to groups with specified entry times (I think this already happens) and accredited guides (already theoretically happening) who are responsible for the visitors’ behavior. This latter is NOT happening, at least not yet. Unguided, unescorted tours will have to stop.
I write this sadly, since given the option I’m an independent soul, curious, respectful of the site and my surroundings.
Modern travel means far more people can access the site. Most are careful and respectful of the site, but some who aren’t as careful as they should be will be there, and they can easily ruin the experience not just of those of us who have the misfortune to be there simultaneously, they can also damage the physical site.
Also, ban selfie-sticks. I’m surprised no one has had an eye put out by one of those things.
4
Beside Pompeii, I would think Herculaneum would face some of the same issues. perhaps to a lesser extent that the more popular Pompeii. I have visited both sites numerous times since my first visits in the early 1980's and the beauty and history of both locations is always inspiring.
2
Do what the Greeks have done with the. Acropolis. Pave the walkway, and charge admission, upgrade the facilities. Simple.
1
Those of us who were able to travel to some of these location years ago remember them as not very crowded and enjoyable. What has really changed is not the number of Americans traveling, but the numbers coming from other places. Thirty years ago Chinese travelers were essentially non existent, for example. Now due to economic progress and the Chinese government allowing people out of the country, you see bus after bus of them. This is true for other nations who have citizens now with enough cash to travel abroad. Mass tourism requires some new approaches in order to assure the sites are not damaged. The cruise ship industry has also played a very negative role in this phenomenon. Social medial is another negative influence. impact, as people try to make money from being "influencers" as noted in the article, or getting that "selfie" in Instagram. (Note - have never been on Instagram and plan to never access it. If I don't know you, I really am not interested in your vacation photos.) Places like Venice are now really just a tourist trap with few actual residents. Governments should be taxing tour operators, cruise lines, and individuals heavily and should be putting into place mechanisms to limit the damage we are doing. I love to travel, but am not attracted to these overly trampled places. Couple all this with people behaving badly has made the travel experience much less enjoyable for everyone.
7
@dairyfarmersdaughter I would like to underscore several points dairyfarmersdaughter has stated. Living in a tourist destination which gets virtually daily cruises ships I can personally attest to the negative impact of ships holding several thousand passengers, disgorging them onto a 2 by 4 square mile island. The infrastructure is tested daily and the city itself recoups little more than funds to maintain the infrastructure. Island tour operators, major tourist interest sites and merchants in a small area are benefited by this influx. Unfortunately, also, many of the cruise ships that come here are "bargain rate" cruises so that the passengers are not going to be frequenting restaurants and art galleries.
Regarding tourism in China: I just returned from a trip to China and, although I achieved my goals of seeing the great wall, the terra cotta soldiers, and the Forbidden City, the experiences were very unpleasant. These sites as well as less popular ones were overwhelmed with people. From my observation, the tourists were mostly Chinese and Asian. Whether my own locality or world wide destinations, these national treasures must be protected from the shear numbers of tourists. While they don't have to be limited to the privileged few, there must be procedures in place to limit visitation or there will soon be nothing to visit.
5
Janet -
Well stated! I lived in Key West for a while, and then left to travel Europe. These cruise ships are a scourge and local governments need to learn to charge APPROPRIATE fees to ships so someone gets a benefit besides the cruise company. The travelers get off the ship, bring their own food off, use public facilities and spend nothing. In Dubrovnik it was heartbreaking.
I now live in a village on the famous Ring of Kerry and see tour BUSES doing the same thing. They pull up, unload their own box lunches, and use our public toilets and trash cans.
Mass tourism is only helping the owners of mass tourism companies.
Susan
Expat in Waterville Ireland
4
I'm an expat living in Italy. Sadly, tourism is going to kill certain towns and regions of the country. I live a couple of hours from Rome and visiting there is a never-ending battle of dodging selfie-sticks and foreigners behaving badly. Ditto with Florence, Sienna, Venice and many other beautiful places. Sure, the economy of Italy depends, to a great extent, on tourism, but if I were in charge, the price of admission would be much higher than it is today.
It's ironic that my Italian family and colleagues who visit the U.S. are shocked at how expensive it is to visit monuments and museums and stay in hotels. Perhaps the Italians should simply charge more for people to have the privilege (and it truly is a privilege) to visit this beautiful country. Maybe the Italians could learn a thing or two from their greedy American counterparts.
14
@mrfreeze6 yes, last year it was 12 euro to get into Pomp and 4 euro for an OJ in front of the gate. I suggest the juice vendor be incarcerated and the entry fee increased to 85 euro, that would cut the selfie mob down considerably.
2
Americans generally overcharge for everything because the model is price to the extreme, not price to cover the costs. Italians and most all other nations should take a harder look at their supply and demand. Many nations have a two tier system where locals or nationals pay one price and foreigners pay a different, higher price. This can cause a bit of bad taste in the mouth but then again the visitors swallow it.
3
The Metropolitan Museum of Art here in NYC adopted a similar policy last year: pay what you wish for NYC residents ( yes you must show ID) while all other visitors pay $25. I have heard European visitors are very satisfied with the arrangement.
2
I was 12 years old or so when I saw Pompeii in the summer of 1956, with my family. There was lots of rubble, very, very few people, and many open buildings - it seemed like it was all just beginning to be excavated. My parents hired a guide for a few hours, and they did not allow my older brother and me into a brothel (no one told me why but I think my brother knew).
The guide also chipped off some tile segments and volcanic rocks found on the floors - I didn't really want them and later threw away because it made me uncomfortable to have them. I wish I had been 10 years older so that I understood more of what I was looking at.
It did inspire, however, a life-long love of ancient places and history, and I took Latin for 4 years when in high school which I loved. Try to see it when the crowds are very low, and read as much as you can about the time. Pliny the Younger gives a great real-life account to start with.
Then we were off to Rome and the Coliseum!
8
On our honeymoon,back in 1961,my beautiful young wife and I visited many of the sites mentioned including Pompeii Archeological Site.Remember vividly the place was practically void of tourists as was the case for other sites.Could sit on a step,close you eyes and hear the chariots roll by.We were not rich but fortunate to be able to afford the experience.Not many people had the financial means to do that back than.My brother and I visited the Vatican Museums this past May.We chose a Wednesday morning as most people congregate in St Peter's Square for the Pope's blessing.By the time we walked out St Peter Cathedral at 2,30 pm,the line to the Cathedral was twice around St Peter square.
5
My husband and I visited Pompeii in the fall of 2006. Since it was the end of the season it was not crowded at all. I was thrilled having wanted to see Pompeii since I was a child. Seeing this picture makes me sad. It looks like a crowded day at the Mall of America. On the same trip we toured Venice, Barcelona, Santorini, and Mykonos and were welcomed by the locals. Now they hold signs telling tourists to leave. It’s a shame but as long as ships with thousands of people arrive and everyone wants to see the same at the same time it’s only going to get worse. In the past few years all of our trips have been in the US where there still beautiful places to visit.
6
I read this article with great sadness. I’ve been to Pompeii twice. I simply cannot understand anyone who would deface such a world treasure, taking tiles out of a mosaic, putting their hands on a fresco and stealing small items, it's unbelievable. But then, I’ve read about tourists defacing temples, etc. in Asia.
Maybe access to cheap airplane travel isn’t for the best. Of course that would mean I couldn’t go either, but it's a small price to pay to save these treasures from these marauders.
7
@Wolf201 if you think the rich are above defacing and stealing, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
9
@Talon Well we all know that’s true. I guess the point I was trying to make, is that today we have mass traveling and it has brought its own problems.
Venice is planning, and may have done this already, to ban cruise ships, the residents can’t even enjoy their own town anymore.
Of course the average person should be able to travel, our family is blue collar and certainly not awash in money. But we have done our share of traveling; mostly Europe because my husband was born there.
This is a problem that all countries with historical treasures are trying to deal with. They probably will have to only allow a few at a time to visit their sites.
2
I visited Pompeii in 2010 but it was during the off-season. That’s the time to go. The weather wasn’t bad at all but I avoided the masses. 
1
People are not very respectful. Period. The Italians have a few choices to counteract bad behavior. They can charge more and hire sufficient guards. They can limit entries to qualified guides and groups. They can limit numbers of daily visitors and require that tickets be bought in advance. When people don't respect history, I don't believe that we are obligated to let them run roughshod over the cultural inheritance of any country. Going to Pompei and posing for selfies is not a necessity.
9
Good grief, I paid 22£ to tour Wedgewood!! They need to raise their prices!!!
7
So many beautiful and exiting places to visit in Europe which are not (yet) overrun by mass tourism . Just be a little more adventures and not blindly follow Lonely Planet and all those other so called travel guides.
1
I can’t help but think that the disrespect of many tourists at ancient sites is yet another symptom of societal ills. On one hand, the haves look at so much as disposable, while the have-nots know that even they are disposable. Pompeii is overrun with tourists taking selfies and throwing chocolate wrappers on the ground while Palmyra’s is willfully destroyed by the Islamic State and local people lose the homes and means to earn a living.
1
Pompeii is a treasure that I have enjoyed visiting multiple times over the decades. Unfortunately, my last visit in 2014 left me worried for its future. I was not bothered by the fact that some of my favorite buildings were closed for restoration; that's live in an active archeological site. What bothered me was a sad combination of two factors:
(1) The number of places where glass (or plexiglass) walls had been erected to protect priceless frescoes and other remains. They completely change the experience so that it is more akin to watching a video than standing amidst a 1st Century Roman city.
(2) The fact that bad tourist behavior made it clear that even more ambiance- and view-destroying glass panels were needed. As we were viewing the frescoes in one home, the teenage sons of an American family read the sign about the nearly 2,000 year old fresco and promptly began using their thumb nails to flake bits off. It was a profoundly embarrassing (as an American) and depressing situation.
So, I both understand the need for intense, expensive security, and lament the impact it will have on the ability of honest, respectful people to appreciate such a unique window into the ancient world.
17
@Ken OMG. Where were the parents of these teenagers? Obviously these were kids you would not want to invite into your home. No manners, no sense of history, how very sad.
4
Because we are facing an ever-intensifying climate crisis, we need to scale back on tourism and fast. Stay local. Visit a state park or a local lake or pond. Go to your own city's museums. Camp out in your backyard. Get to know your neighbors. Learn to play an instrument or quilt or paint on your vacation instead. Or play board games or cards.
But long-distance and overseas tourism needs to end. It just does. Air travel is horrible. See a movie set in your favorite spots. Read a book about Pompei or Iceland or the Great Barrier Reef. But if you care about any of these places and leaving a habitable planet for your children, just stay home.
22
@Far from Kerry
"Just stay home" in a multi-cultural world is nonsensical. Reading an authoritative narrative in a book of color photographs is not. Mass tourism has killed international travel in more ways than one. Mostly, personal destructive behavior and state violence now current throughout the world is to blame for the continuing destruction of vulnerable archaeological sites. The education and sensitivity of people has never been high. And conscientious travelers/tourists will have to make their way cautiously. Staying home? Sounds drastic.
5
@Dusty Chaps Yes it is drastic to stop or severely reduce flying. And it is one of the many things that are necessary to leave a habitable planet for future generations. Why do we need to fly so much and to many places? So we can take a photo in front of the Mona Lisa? To hike up to Machu Pichu? To cross something off our bucket list? What egotism. Why can't we be content to stay home and read a book or get to know our neighbors or visit a local state park or our city's art museum?
"Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors." - Jonas Salk
6
@Far from Kerry I'm with Kerry. There are too many people on the planet, too much technology, and folks don't want to moderate their behavior. We are heading for disaster.
9
We went to Pompeii in May this year. What a let down. Completely overrun with countless hundreds of people, all intent on taking selfies. "Hey" "look it's me again but in somewhere else that used to be great until all these selfish people like me decided we had to get a selfie every ten minutes".
Walking around trying just to absorb the atmosphere and understand the place was impossible. Everywhere was a scrum of self-obsessed selfie junkies.
The simple answer is to limit the number of people who can visit at anytime and make admission time limited. But as a local cash cow this isn't likely to happen, so visit if you desperately want to but be prepared for disappointment.
10
Nothing can, nothing will save the historical monuments from mass tourism of the semi-literate, smelly crowds. Two possible solutions: promotion of armchair tourism through Internet, or making the monuments accessible only to select hyper-rich.
3
This should be put on the 52 Destinations list.
Is this part of the 52 Destinations tour?
Brought my children there and relived history in our minds. We were often the only ones we saw most of the day. How lucky we were.
We went to Pompeii in 2011 and there were a number of visitors, but nothing like today. It's so spread out that it was possible to believe you were the only ones there.
Before we went I looked forward to it with great anticipation, but when we left I was filled with a great sadness.
My husband and I were fortunate to visit Pompeii and other nearby sites earlier this year, in March. It was a very pleasant experience, we saw the major sites in Rome, Naples, Paestum, Capri, the Amalfi coast, and really experienced no significant crowds at all. I realize some travelers stick to the summer because of school schedules, but the weather in March was beautiful sunny and warm, but not hot. Maybe it would help if people rethought when the most desirable time is to visit major tourist attractions.
2
My husband visited this site as a child in the 70's and was mesmerized by it. We had the fortune to go back about 2 years ago in April. There were no crowds and he was astonished at how much larger it was and how much has now been excavated. There was so much to seen and to learn. Our kids loved it. But I agree that it must be protected for future generations. I like the idea of viewing platforms (as at the Colosseum), reservations/permits, and different tour routes to spread visitors across the sites.
2
I visited Pompeii as a teenager with my parents in 1966 or 67 and conserve a wonderful memory of it. I revisited Naples with my husband and another couple about 5 years ago; Naples being one of the ports on a Mediterranean cruise. Knowing how overcrowded Pompeii was even then, I suggested we visit Herculaneum instead. Herculaneum is a similar site, easily reached by train from Naples (get the Sorrento train and get off at Ercolano Scavi). A delightful experience; we wandered freely around the site wearing headphones that offer guidance. I highly recommend it as a less crowded alternative.
6
It's not just Pompeii, it's in many places of historic significance all over the world. The choice is either limiting admittance or allowing them to be worn slowly away.
5
The entry fee should be increased to 25 euros, which is not an unreasonable fee and would help cover the costs of maintenance.
8
I am so glad I spent ten years traveling all over Europe in the late 60s and early 70s when it was a pleasure to be able to see much without the masses we see now. I’ll go to Europe to visit family, in what used to be the off season, but will never go as a tourist again.
4
My wife and I were there last October, also spending time in Naples. Had a fantastic day with a great tour guide, and it's an amazing experience seeing the result of around 300 years of excavations at the site.
It's awe inspiring to look over the north city wall and see Mt. Vesuvius right there, imagining what it must have been like.
The eruption occurred in 79 AD, but the volcano came back to life in 62 AD with a massive earthquake.
Vesuvius erupted and spewed ash for the next 17 years until the final catastrophe. Those Romans with money and power had long since left Pompeii. The slaves, servants and Roman guards weren't so lucky.
2
Pompeii is a museum...museums of necessity, limit how many people can be accommodated inside without loss of life, loss of collections, and, of course, according to fire codes, etc.
Pompeii must limit how many people come in at any time. They need to have timed tickets.
2
Or just limit the amount of tickets sold per day. China started doing this in the forbidden city. I'm not sure how they keep ticket speculators from driving up prices.
I went in the pouring rain in January, a surefire way to avoid the crowds! It is a beautiful place.
3
The solution appears obvious: raise the entrance fees to pay for additional guards. If this reduces the number of visitors, to only those keen enough to pay the higher fees, so much the better. Alternatively, additional fees might be applied to select areas of the park. Egypt has done this to limit visitor numbers into select Luxor tombs to prevent damage from human exposure. Works very well. Yes, over-tourism is today's reality worldwide. Pompeii is no exception.
7
I was there in the spring of 2001, and we were virtually alone in Pompeii. Similarly I drove through Oak Creek Canyon, AZ from Sedona in the 1990s, untouched, and now it's a slog of traffic. Gah, I remember visiting Sedona, when all the food was a diner + there was a laundromat, and tiny art galleries. Ten years later it was unrecognizable. Houses everywhere in the hills and a snarl of traffic. Very few untouched places remain. Humanity is a cancer on this earth + the earth needs chemotherapy.
6
The speed of the arrival of apocalyptic tourism is staggering. In 1976, I was glad to be traveling in western and eastern Europe in August, because a young woman alone wants some people around. There were no crowds of today’s magnitude. That trip took courage, and was life changing, opening my Midwest mind to parameters of beauty and aspiration and cultures that went beyond books.
In 2012, my husband and I bypassed Pompei, Venice was shockingly difficult to walk through AT NIGHT because of the crowds, and Michelangelo’s “Pieta” brought tears to my eyes because of having to now view it through plexiglass in a human stream so implacable that a second’s stillness was impossible.
One generation, and we humans are smothering that from which we hope to learn. One generation. Maybe millennials will instead embrace virtual tours (a far better window into archeological sites) and preserve the originals.
3
Finding the right balance between wide access and preservation is a challenge facing those administering all national treasures worldwide. In the U.S. Yosemite Park is perhaps the most immediately threatened but population growth will sooner or later inundate them all.
2
@Kent Kraus I live 40 minutes from Yosemite. I went in there a few years ago in summer, and I promised myself never to do that to myself again. The crowds (and the heat) were unbearable.
Anyone who can manage it should go during the Fall, Winter or Spring. The Park is lovely then and there are way fewer people.
As an archaeologist for over 30 years, I can testify to the clueless and disrespectful behavior of tourists at heritage sites, firsthand. The area around Pompeii and Southern Italy relies heavily on tourism for their regional and local economies. One solution is public education and carefully controlled tours of these areas by knowledgeable guides in timed smaller groups. Letting people roam around results in a lot of damage, but a more controlled visit might help curb damages to the site. Pompeii has withstood centuries of abuse: poor archaeological excavation techniques going back to the 18th century, neglect, and general mismanagement, but the work and research being done there in recent years has been top-notch. If the same care is taken in handling mass tourism, it could be a positive experience for everyone involved.
4
Don't overlook, as an alternative to Pompei, Ostia Antica, Rome's ancient port, very convenient to the international airport and cruise ship terminal and a short train or bus trip away. The archeological site is vast and on a recent November visit was empty of tourists. The museum contains many superb statues, and there is even a synagogue site. The only criticism I have is that wheelchair traversal is limited (like many Italian sites) in spite of helpful staff.
1
Stone hand mills for grinding grain Roman bakery oven – archaeological remains at Ruins of Pompeii, might be presenting a fascinating sight for people soaked in modernity of advanced industrial societies, but not for others. Granite stone rotary grain grinders and brick masonry bakes oven etc extraordinarily similar one found in Pompeii ruins can be commonly found in day to day use in countries like India to this day!
I went on a clear cold weekday in February, warmed in the sunshine and peace of the Temple of Isis, napped in the amphitheater until some opera singers decided to practice, shared wine with strangers, and got a little lost in the fading dusk, a guard coming for me with flashlight to make sure I found my way out. Lovely place, then back to Naples for more beautiful craziness.
3
Exactly, these are archaeological remains (and treasures) not an amusement park. How true this is throughout the ancient world as mass tourism and traveler's bucket lists all too often create an atmosphere where visitors want to 'notch' a site and move on, without much if any understanding of or interest in the history of the place and its peoples. This poses a huge problem for governments who try to restore and stabilize famous sites but who also need revenues to keep that work ongoing. Sadly, our world has slid into a frightening shallow world of mass tourism but maybe its not so different than the traveling Victorians who pilfered souvenirs (or worse) from great archaeological sites all over Europe. Problem is, there are alot more travelers now.
3
I would never go to the touristy places in Italy again in the summer months. Totally unenjoyable -like being on a packed subway car in the heat. I went to Pompeii (in the winter) about 15 years ago and it was not crowded but completely devoid of management, without proper care -no security, no information- clueless about protecting this historical site from the inevitable hordes now visiting. Not as well known as Pompeii but a fantastic place to see Roman ruins is Tunisia.
5
Pompeii made me cry. Since I was a child I'd always wanted to see it and we finally visited accompanied by tour guide. The sheer number of people, busses, taxis, queues, shops, hawkers--it was total chaos. I wanted to turn around and leave since we had already toured Naples which was an amazing place by itself. But we persevered and although it was phenomenal, it made me feel dirty, just like visiting Venice did. I was part of the cause of the chaos and damage being done to these places.
Whenever I read yet another article about the latest, greatest, new place to visit I feel for the inhabitants and the onslaught headed their way. This said as a California native and an ex-longtime resident of San Francisco.... nothing ever good comes from being called a place to see before you die. Don't even get me started on large cruise liners.
8
Skip the tourist traps. They are never worth it. I go one hour outside any major urban area/tourist trap and there's always things to see, food/wine to try and not a single tourist in sight. The locals love to see you and appreciate someone making an effort.
3
The Florida tourist whose reaction to one of the world's most famous ancient ruins is that it needs "some more repair" tells you all you need to know about how deeply the vast majority of tourists understand and experience the treasures they are trampling to death.
It reminds me of a snippet of conversation I once overheard at a magnificent Van Gogh retrospective at LACMA, from two middle-aged women who seemed to be racing through the gallery on their way to lunch somewhere:
Woman 1: "Shouldn't we take a little more time to look at these paintings?"
Woman 2: "Why? It's not like we're going to buy anything?"
10
@Frank F Well said.
1
This problem is true for popular sites all over the world. Even our Lombard street (crookedest street in the world lol) which hardly measures up to the significance of Pompeii is under assault with no simple solutions,
With worldwide prosperity comes world travel and huge numbers of tourists, Perhaps, despite the obvious downside, there is the plus, which is that more people want to learn about the world and are willing to go see it,
Recently returned from Barcelona. When not in riot mode, Barcelona is as oversubscribed as Pompeii; impossible to appreciate as you are surrounded by thousands of other tourists nearly everywhere. In fact, one can’t just travel and show up somewhere anymore. Every step has to be planned or else you will see little or nothing due to the crowding. Bucket lists, cheap and agonizing air travel, plus greed have brought us here. Is there a way out?
3
I’m more than a little concerned about this news. We are just back from Italy in October and I am now convinced that the growth of international tourism is not sustainable. Venice with a resident population of 50,000 now sees close to 30,000,000 tourists a year. Lines for the Colosseum and the Vatican are three hours long. In October! We’ve had similar off season experiences in our national parks and there is little reason to believe the numbers will decrease or even level off anytime soon. There was a time when one could avoid the crowds by going somewhere else during the off season but “somewhere else” and the “off season” have all but disappeared.
3
Thank you, Sheri. In 1968 (?) I visited the "blockbuster" on loan to Chicago. I was 22 and deep into Existentialism at school. It was a damascene epiphany so rich I live off it and in it to this day.
1
Tourism needs some limits on the number of people who can visit a specific site. As a yearly visitor to Paris for many years I have noticed the increasing numbers of tourists. Do their numbers make a difference in your visit? Yes, absolutely. And they make life different and complicated for the citizens who actually live and work there. In places like Paris, Rome and Pompeii it can be unbearable. But at the same time these tourists spend millions of dollars in your city. It is a difficult line to describe where it becomes to much. Everyone who has traveled has had an experience someplace where the line to visit is hours long. The Louvre for one place. And when inside there are literally HORDS of people. Making it difficult if not impossible to see the art. Even shopping where Printemps and Gallerie Lafayette look like half of asia is shopping there, full of tourists. For Paris go in early may June to see the roses in bloom, and January and February to visit the museums in very off season. And they will still have many visitors. As the climate is just cool to most north americans in January February that is when it is a good time to go to Rome Florence and Naples/Pompeii. I never go anyplace now in "high season" as it is a miserable experience. And lastly I would like to recommned to all americans, please do not get drunk in public. And learn to lower your voice.
Detroit, until recently, has been a notoriously poor place to visit. We embodied a sort of Ed Debevik’s casual self-centered sullenness and irritation, taking the service out of customer service. A sneer to the few suburbanites and tourists wandering in. But Detroit has managed to change this culture and Pompeii made my Detroit seem like Disney wrapped in a Nordstrom’s.
In Pompeii you are just on your own, period. There are about 3 bathrooms on the whole property. The entire site is designed without proper signage. You must hire a guide (a bit of a racket) if you have any hope of understanding what you are looking at. The trash was overflowing. It was, in terms of people and a city/museum, complete chaos. The place needs order. It needs to be managed. Restrict the number of tourists, make excellent tours part of the cost or get signage. Other parts of Italy manage tourism just fine. (And yes I am aware of Naples government, um yeah, I get that). One thing I can tell you as a Detroiter AND a tourist is that if you treat people poorly, that is the outcome you will receive. Pompeii is a treasure and hallowed ground, the entire process deserves so much more.
1
This has become a critical problem at numerous sites around the world. Pompeii, Venice, Dvornik, Machu Picchu... and the situation is getting worse, not better. Ancient historical sites are less able to withstand the endless throngs of people, not all of which are considerate in how they treat the sites that they are visiting. The only solution is to put limits on the number of people visiting on any given day. Have tickets to be purchased in advance and when they are sold out for the day, that's it... no one else will be admitted. The proceeds can be used for the upkeep and protection of these fragile areas. For those like Pompeii and Machu Picchu, which are at special risk, only tourists accompanied by licensed guides who can ensure that the visitors do not damage the areas. Otherwise places like Pompeii will be destroyed by the very people who want so badly to see them.
1
Avoid this and all other tourist attractions and spend time and your money in the hill towns of Tuscany. Not only will you reward that economically depressed region but you will experience the best food and wine in the country and the lovely people who are hanging on there..
The solution to fix over mass tourism is so simple: raise the entry prices!! Bhutan does it and it works wonderfully.
2
Somewhere in the billions of visitors, my all too brief visit left me feeling as if a lifetime was not enough.
It is in the details that the gods have rendered Pompeii. A threshold's marble blocks joined by lead butterflies, enigmatic staircases to subterranean mysteries... chained off. Luscious frescos hinted in fragments, behind crowd control. Frustrating barriers... at once understood, yet chafing assumptions of disrespect by the deluge.
I only wanted to savor a moment of quiet. Conjuring up the moment of... that moment before, having stepped into the moment after. Just that pause for respect, solemnity, an homage to those whose cacophonous lives had just stopped. Now, in a corner of a room, in a domus, off the cobbled street, in the tomb that is Pompeii... opened. Just a moment of silence to listen. Listen for the voices, the sounds, the heartbeat of the vivified city, in the stillness of its repose.
2
I had the good fortune to visit in the 90's. it was not over run with tourists and you could take you time seeing and experiencing the site. There was respect for the fact that so many were had been killed there and the bodies remained. You could appreciate the grandeure, the every day life of the regular people and the tragedy of the loss. I wonder of much of that is not lost on many today.
1
People need to stop complaining about this.
There are new middle class families in India, China and even in some European countries. They want to travel too. They want to see the same places you do. It’s not just yours to enjoy. Get over it. When you travel, you’re probably an annoyance to locals as well though they’re happy to accept your cash. My hometown city is mobbed with tourists every hour of every day. While it’s slightly annoying at times, and hard to navigate streets, I’m also thrilled that people from all over the world come here to enjoy the city I’ve admired my entire life.
The governments of these sought after places have a choice. They can stop the influx, but my guess is that they’d rather accept tourists’ money and simultaneously complain that outsiders are ruining it. It’s all about the Benjamins, after all.
4
The volcanic eruption will probably happen again and if there are any nearby gas drilling wells stirring up earth quakes you have that to deal with. I would not live there.
Better choice - Ostia Antica- about 10 or 15 minutes From Rome Airport by taxi.
@Tom Different choice, not necessarily a better choice.
The real question regarding the future of Pompeii as well as that of the planet is, are we able to forbear doing anything we are able to do?
2
I had the great fortune to visit this amazing site in 1969. It was one of the most riveting and memorable experiences of my life. There were very few tourists there and we more or less wandered freely among the ruins. The sense of time was so overwhelming and, at 22, I was young enough to still have a child's power of imagination. Seeing the hordes of visitors now in these photos is jarring to my memory. I am very glad that restorations are ongoing and successful, but I am sad for the visitors today who don't have the chance to wander pensively in the chariot tracks I walked along so long ago, sinking undisturbed and unrushed into reveries about time and how fleeting life is. To see the murals and imagine life as it was there at that time - I will never forget that afternoon...
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@Sheri I don't feel you should be sad for the visitors today. I have been to places like the Louvre during the hour or 2 before closing & another favorite "thing" to do whenever I'm in Hawaii, Waikiki Beach around or before 6AM. In both the "venues" & others I have had to "watch my step" so I wouldn't come between a "camera" & the "object" being photographed. The Louvre, has been quieter but still the "photographers". At Waikiki I used to have the same experience as you did at Pompei. The last couple times, not. Tourism doesn't seem to be about experiencing "IT", it seems to be about telling "the world" I've been there.
4
@Sheri What a wonderful memory... I like you visited long ago and share some of the same experiences. What a wonderful place with very few tourists. I will never forget that wonderful summer day.
4
@Sheri Thanks for your post. I was a Navy hospital corpsman stationed in Naples from 1962-1964 and visited Pompeii several times, with much the same response as yours. It was a much smaller excavation then, but enough to tell the visitor a great story of ancient times. The photo accompanying the article is astonishing... the crowd in view is bigger than any "crowd" exploring the entire site in 1963, even throwing in Herculaneum, close by, which was smaller and even less thoroughly excavated at that time.
4
Just for the sake of summoning up the-good-old-days as I had the chance once, as an exchange-student, of discovering this marvelous place which I also remember back then almost empty of visitors, a picture strikingly different to the one shown here.
I even recall, at some point in the late afternoon visit, getting quite lost and struggling for a to find anyone to talk to for directions.
This wasn't that far back and little before the Instagram-era with its swarms of globe-trotter/devotees, also before tour operators started, all year round, overspilling top destinations with carloads of unenthusiastic groups.
Hence these two factors taken together added to lax rules and unregulated traffic as a consequence and in the very short term may impact this venerable site just as boldly as the Vesuvio once did, back in 79 AD.
For this new generation of lightheaded slash, slow-footed promenaders may cause just as much in terms of irreversible damages.
Lastly, in such conditions, how is it even possible to appreciate the works steeped in their natural context when so much interference gets in the way? The only viable solution seems to set a numerus clausus for the daily entries.
32
Just back from a couple of days each in Athens, Istanbul, Rome, Florence and, yes, Pompeii, which is hardly alone in being overrun by hordes of tourists.
I went mid-October because that was supposedly the shoulder season; I could not have been more wrong.
Every big attraction--Uffizi, Duomo, Accademia, Borghese, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Parthenon, Hagia Sofia, Ephesus, Pompeii--was elbow-to-elbow jammed with huge numbers of people on their own or in tour groups.
Overcrowding is of course partly related to time of year, but perhaps as much to the abject failure of the authorities who manage and operate the sites and museums to follow even the most elementary “visitor flow” (crowd control) principles.
Of course, authorities want to maximize income by bringing in as many visitors as possible, a goal enthusiastically supported by the many tour guides and tour companies that make a bundle by wrangling a large proportion of the visitors. Filling galleries fills the coffers, but destroys any hope of a leisurely and intimate viewing experience.
I recommend that authorities swallow national pride and bring in consultants from firms like Disney, which not only operate huge, people-filled theme parks but offer hospitality training and advice on managing large crowds and improving the visitor experience.
In any case, it is necessary to consider limits on visitor volume to preserve the artistic/historic resources and what is so special about visiting them.
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@Mon Ray "Just back from a couple of days each in Athens, Istanbul, Rome, Florence and, yes, Pompeii,"
And there in a nutshell is the problem! Bring in Disney to handle crowd flow?! Go to Disney parks, that seems more in line with your expectations.
2
@Mon Ray Excellent commentary, and good solutions.
@Quelqu'un: You can’t escape the truth that Disney knows how to move people and even time their movements to be most efficient.
A visit to Pompii leaves a spell binding impression.
Walking in the grooves made by Pompeians and their carts in the streets is an experience beyond belief.
Preservation and maintenance of these unique ruins, should not be left the Italians only, but should be shared globally.
Vesuvius remains one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes, with millions of people living on or near its slopes, and millions more visiting the archaeological sites every year. As someone said during 1800 “We, who today are spectators, may become spectacles to travelers of a succeeding century.”
21
We recently visited Pompeii. It was in mid December 2017 and we throughly enjoyed the visit. Before visiting I had read much and I did not think we would find anything new. But, the scale and size of Pompeii is amazing. I was astounded by how large this city truly was. The large square at the top of the city gave a new perspective to everything. This was not a little village. This was a great hub of activity.
Luckily for us there were few people visiting that day. Because we're experienced travelers we know that we must carry a back pack with necessary toiletries and also bottled water. Pompeii was typical in its lack of running water, adequate clean toilets and anything else needed for traveler comfort. The doors on rest rooms could not be fully closed and it was possible that someone might try to use the same closet you're using. Be prepared. We experienced the same at the Parthenon in Athens and also the Coliseum in Rome.
While in Pompeii we did not experience any tourists acting badly or damaging anything. There was nothing like the crowd shown in the photo of the Via Dell' Abbondanza. It was quiet and peaceful.
It appeared to us that many historic sights have totally inadequate facilities for tourists and very few guides and no posted guidelines for behavior. The latter should not be necessary but some folks don't know how to behave.
The only crowds we experienced were in Rome and Barcelona. Eventually there will be damage. There are too many tourists.
36
After three previous trips to Italy, my family and I finally made a long overdue trip to Pompei. Fortunately, it was not that crowded but that was due, mostly likely, to our visiting on a day so hot it felt like Death Valley in July. Those three prior trips provided a good perspective on just how overwhelming the crowds were elsewhere compared to my prior visit: Venice, the Vatican, even the now mandatory reservations to climb to the top of the Duomo (where my 8 yr. old informed me that the climb up "wasn't worth it". I think it's wonderful that everyone has discovered just how many wonderful things Italy has to offer, but it does make me envious of my first trip there, in 1988, when I bought a ticket to see the Last Supper and was the only one there.
18
Instead of waxing about the "good old days" when nobody was interested in sites like Pompeii and you could frolic among the ruins, let's address the truth of tourism today. More "regular" people have the means to travel and want to see these sites - hence the popularity of European and Asian river cruises. Although I agree that there are some tourists who "tick off boxes", those who manage historical sites and reap financial rewards of doing so are the only people who control the future of such sites. Awhile back, I read a story on how the tulip fields in the Netherlands were being trampled by tourists who want to see them in high season. Simple solution: Charge a fee to see them and use those funds to fence and guide where appropriate. There are historical sites all of the world that are well protected by responsible management and are visited by millions. I like the idea proposed here by MON RAY and CONSCIENTIOUS EATER to build platforms above the site to protect it. It's simple, logical and practical. You don't need to "climb" on a site to experience it. This has less to do with how tourists view an archeological site and more to do with how well those who are entrusted with its management are doing their job to protect it.
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@Nancy
This is true. The Germans and British do not create the masterpieces, but they could be called upon to practice the Protestant Ethic and manage them. This recently happened with the Uffizi in Florence where a German entrepreneur took over and the profits soared. Unfortunately, in most cases both sides of the brain do not communicate well. You either create the art or you know how to profit from it.
11
@bigdoc Sorry for being pedantic, but the Germans and British do not create the masterpieces, but fortunately they are good at managing them? What about Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach, Matthias Grünewald, Hans Holbein, Caspar David Friedrich, Franz Marc, Max Ernst, Gerhard Richter, Anselm Kiefer, Max Liebermann, Emil Nolde, Paul Klee, Otto Dix, Paula Modersohn Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Lovis Corinth, Joseph Beuys, ... I'm not going to start to name British artists as I'm sure you get my point.
Why should a nation that is good at management not also produce great artists? Maybe it's even quite the contrary: the best Italian art was made centuries ago, at a time when northern Italian cities were powerful and well-managed and could afford to train and pay the artists whose works we now admire. Or can you name many outstanding contemporary Italian artists? I have the impression that Italy as a nation is not doing too well in any sphere right now, be it politics, management, or art. Maybe those issues go hand in hand?
4
@Jo The vast majority of the painters you listed are not among the greatest artists that have lived. Durer is the only one on the list. None of these artists rivals Leonardo or Caravaggio or Titian. How about German food or the German language? Ask people around the world if they would rather listen to German or Italian?
If you think back over the last three millennia, Germany has contributed very little compared to Italy. Einstein went to Italy to study as did Mozart and Handel.
Just look at the difference in tourists. Who wants to go to Germany? Do you see Chinese, Korean and Japanese tourists breaking down the gates to go to Germany? Finally, Germany has caused more destruction in the world than Italy could ever do.
1
The solution could be building a replica nearby, sort of like a theme park. Egypt has done with king Tut’s tomb with positive results. Hopefully Pompeii won’t be turned into another Venice, which is difficult to enjoy due to the incredible crowds.
3
Just back from spending a couple of days each in Athens, Istanbul, Rome, Florence and, yes, Pompeii.
I chose early to mid-October to visit because that was supposedly the shoulder season; I could not have been more wrong.
Every major attraction—Uffizi, Duomo, Accademia, Borghese, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Parthenon, Haja Sofia, Ephesus and, yes, Pompeii, was elbow-to-elbow jammed with individuals, families and huge numbers of people in tour groups.
Overcrowding is of course partly related to time of year, but perhaps as much to the abject failure of the authorities who manage and operate the sites and museums to follow even the most elementary “visitor flow” (crowd control) principles.
Of course, the authorities want to maximize income by bringing in as many visitors as possible, a goal enthusiastically supported by the many tour guides and tour companies that make a bundle by wrangling a large proportion of the visitors. Filling galleries fills the coffers, but destroys any hope of a leisurely and intimate viewing experience.
I recommend that authorities swallow national pride and bring in consultants from firms like Disney, which not only operate huge, people-filled theme parks but offer hospitality training and advice on managing large crowds and improving the visitor experience.
In any case, it is necessary to consider limits on visitor volume to preserve the artistic/historic resources and what is special about visiting them.
1
The picture of throngs of tourists is just crazy. I visited in 1972, and there were very few people. We practically had the place to ourselves to leisurely explore the site and museum.
8
This has to do with Italy's economy. If the country were doing better, it would not have to rely so much on tourism. Italy is spectacular for many reasons. Few countries rival its history, monuments, art, cuisine, and natural varied beauty, but it will need to do something and do it soon. The ban on cruise ships in Venice is the beginning.
Italy will not be able to change the rude and entitled behavior, so they will have to view this as a threat to their nation.
I was in Edinburgh, Dublin and London and in each place I saw Italian tourists who were well behaved. These places had breakfasts and large numbers of people were in the dining rooms for morning meals. Everyone stayed in line and did not push people out of the way. Unfortunately, I can not say the same for the Chinese, Koreans, Scandinavians, Dutch and Germans that I saw in Milan and Florence. They came in like hordes. The selfies are one thing, but pushing and breaking lines is reprehensible.
Perhaps we need Rick Steves to write a book on civilized travel behavior and translate it into these languages.
33
As long as one avoids August (high tourist time) you wont see crowds (as one sees depicted in the article's first pic). This is true virtually anywhere in Europe. Say no to August visits when going to Europe. The only caution is that many smaller tourist areas dont open until May and they will likely be closed by November. Late May to early June is your best bet if you dont want to be surrounded by crowds.
1
And no to March through at least October. The slow season hasn't been true for many years. Just slightly slower in dead of winter.
1
@K Henderson. This is no longer true in most regions of Italy. The shoulder season has now become late November to March.
@K Henderson
While the main holiday month in Europe is August, September is now also included in high season and having returned from Europe at end of September I can vouch for this.
When the schools go back, so everyone retired or who do not have children take their vacations; and with so many people from all over the world having the means to travel it is only going to get worse.
I've heard December is a good month for travel....
This is so sad. I visited Pompeii in August of 1983 and it was virtually abandoned and one could wander at leisure. When I went back only about 15 years later the decline and mismanagement was already visible. I don't think I'd ever want to go back and see the sad state of affairs it sounds like it is currently in. Tourism has gotten out of control. I know it's the lifeblood of many places on earth, but they will be trammeled by selfie taking hoards.
28
We just returned from a six week, shoulder-season trip through Europe. Each place we went was over-crowded with visitors, many of them ill-behaved and entitled. To make it worse, the dreadful selfie-sticks have largely given way to influencers, who must be meticulously and endlessly photographed in front of whatever the attraction is -- a castle, view or painting.
For the most part, most of the tourists we came across had no interest in the place they were visiting. It was just a box to be ticked off, a place they can say they have been with that posed photo to prove it. It feels like the aftermath of the death of tourism, long past the time when we traveled to be educated, enlightened and delighted with the experience of discovery.
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@soozzie
I love your final sentence: "It feels like the aftermath of the death of tourism, long past the time...." My thoughts precisely--I don't think I could have put it any better.0
28
@soozzie Just back from a couple of days each in Athens, Istanbul, Rome, Florence and, yes, Pompeii, which is hardly alone in being overrun by hordes of tourists.
I went mid-October because that was supposedly shoulder season; was I wrong!
Every big attraction--Uffizi, Duomo, Accademia, Borghese, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Parthenon, Hagia Sofia, Ephesus, Pompeii--was elbow-to-elbow jammed with huge numbers of people on their own or in tour groups.
Overcrowding is of course partly related to time of year, but perhaps as much to the abject failure of the authorities who manage and operate the sites and museums to follow even the most elementary “visitor flow” (crowd control) principles.
Of course, authorities want to maximize income by bringing in as many visitors as possible, a goal enthusiastically supported by the many tour guides and tour companies that make a bundle by wrangling a large proportion of the visitors. Filling galleries fills the coffers, but destroys any hope of a leisurely and intimate viewing experience.
I recommend that authorities swallow national pride and bring in consultants from firms like Disney, which not only operate huge, people-filled theme parks but offer hospitality training and advice on managing large crowds and improving the visitor experience.
In any case, it is necessary to consider limits on visitor volume to preserve the artistic/historic resources and what is so special about visiting them.
3
@soozzie Because we are facing an ever-intensifying climate crisis, we need to scale back on tourism and fast.
Long-distance and overseas tourism needs to end. See a movie set in your favorite spot. Read a book about Pompei or Iceland or the Great Barrier Reef. Use your vacation to learn to quilt or play an instrument. Go to your city museum. Visit a local state park or pond or lake.
But if you care about leaving a habitable planet for your children, just stay local.
9
I visited in October 2018 and it was crowded, yes, but not unmanageable. There's nothing like walking the streets, stepping up the steps to a villa, spa or even sneaking a peek into the brothel is amazing. Understanding the context of buildings to one another, imagining life in this ancient bustling town before the explosion and the suffering of it's inhabitants during, is worth the visit. But, it does need to be preserved and managed properly. Maybe advanced tickets only and for select months during the year?
24
A bit of family lore: On a visit to Pompeii A mother and her six year old child were touring an old castle. The child delightedly saw a canon ball embedded in a plate of iron armor of the building, and asked if they could take it home. Having always wanted a cannonball this seemed just too perfect! After being was gently dissuaded from removing the trophy from the building, a little lecture on being a good guest was administered.
I was that six year old, and today, seeing the damage tourism has done to both buildings and culture, I would give up that memory, and many others, to spare some of the world's beautiful places. I have a friend who lives in Venice, who leaves her beloved home for six months of the year because it becomes unbearable. Really, can't some of us just accept that we can't all have a cannonball?
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@Sera
Nope. We are humans. We will destroy all in our wake. It's in our DNA.
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Your memory of where you were might be fuzzy: there’s no “castle” at Pompeii and I don’t believe cannons were in use at that time in history. But you’re right about not everyone being able to grab a piece of history.
5
@Sera -- Excuse me -- a castle in Pompeii, with an embedded cannon ball? Pompeii has no castles, and the cannon had not yet been invented in 79 AD. Where were you, exactly?
7
As the Professor said it is an archaeological site not an amusement park. Perhaps limiting a fixed amount of people in the site at a given time under an official tour guide. Then I would bring the entrance fee way up to offset the huge costs.
68
@Br Sullivan I think that is a terrific suggestion. It is the way the French are preserving their fabulous caves with 30,000 + year old paintings - tickets in advance, authorized guides, and limiting visitors.
27
@Br Sullivan
I agree that numbers should/could be limited, however, I disagree that entrance to such a site should be limited to those of affluence, which is precisely what you are proposing.
1
@Rosalind... Like Lascaux? It's a reproduction and people STILL pay to see it. A sucker is born every day.
It’s all about knowing history and showing respect for the people who lived and -in the case of Pompei - died there!... you can see some of them and their bodies make you very silent!!!!
Roman Pompei is overwhelming and moving... you don’t feel the need of clamber houses, gardens... !!??
Maybe, stop promoting 52 places a year to visit... people interested in history, authenticity etc. know where to go without all these listings...
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@Myriam Van den Vonder
I agree with your point about the gimmicky 52 places to visit campaign.
5
We went on a guided tour in Pompeii a couple of weeks ago, in what was supposedly the “shoulder” season for tourism.
No way. The place was jammed with individual tourists and tour groups, making the entire experience seem like a cattle drive, even though our group paid extra to skip the long entry lines.
Further, and worse, many of the treasures from the site, including frescoes, have been moved to be displayed in the protection of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
In fairness, seeing the site with a guided tour provides an awe-inspiring experience of a town that was locked in time by volcanic ash; however, if you want to see and understand the details of life in Pompeii the tour of the site MUST be combined with a visit to the museum in Naples. Seeing one without the other provides an incomplete picture.
The optimal solution, of course, would be to have a proper museum with appropriate security and climate control adjacent to the remnants of Pompeii itself, and all the items that were moved to Naples returned to their original site.
22
@Mon Ray The shoulder season no longer exist.
9
I think the comment by the visitor from Pembroke Pines, Florida says it well.
3
I really could not stand Pompeii when I went there in September 2017. It was so crowded. There were lines to some of the more famous sites. However, I had a much more pleasant time seeing objects from Pompeii at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. Now, that was flat out amazing (along with seeing the other non-Pompeii treasures). Funnily enough, I felt like I had an easier time envisioning Pompeii circa 79 AD there than I did during my site visit.
11
I think they may be right about this. Think about it for thousands of years the only thing that remains is preserved bodies that were in the middle of their day to day life. At the time, the only thing people could see it was only through media in every form. Now after years or even decades we get to actually get to visit this place and see it in person. Yes, it is going to cause a few problems because of thousands of people wanting to explore this moment for themselves. It will be another site to be added to someone's bucket list.
3
The Pompeii Archeological Site is famously corrupt in a country famous for its corruption. My guess is that administrators of the site are refusing to cap ticket sales on busy days in order to raise revenues to offset the siphoning of funds that has plagued the organization for decades.
14
@K Marie Famous for corruption, but also famous for great art, music, architecture, food, science, philosophy, language, varied landscapes and topography, and of course the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. Probably corruption involved, but also because Italy is at the top of most people's lists as a place to visit in their lifetimes.
3
It's very sad to hear that tourists are selfish enough to destroy or steal pieces of Pompeii. Maybe creating more of a barrier is necessary (like an elevated platform where visitors can look at the area but not touch it) is needed? Then maybe select groups can actually tour the grounds while being monitored more closely by guides. I hate that it has to come to this but it seems that respecting culture and history is too much of a challenge than the park to take on.
15
We visited about 12 years ago and were shocked at the lack of care at the site. Trash was strewn everywhere, and no guards at all in sight. I'm glad to hear this important historical site is finally being managed properly.
11
At least those tourists aren't flying around to 52 destinations in one year.
55
We visited Pompeii at about 6 p.m. on a weekday in May and there were perhaps 100 people in the whole place. The streets were empty.
9
@TRM it's much different now in the 21st century
2
@TRM Excellent observation. If you can, go in the off-season. If it's raining, even better. I went to Herculaneum in a steady rain, and there were only a few dozen people in the whole city.
6
@TRM I visited on (American) Thanksgiving Day in 2016. The weather was glorious, the site overwhelming in scale and scope, the crowds non-existant, and for six brief hours, we were able to forget the election. It was one of the best days I ever had on a vacation.
43