The picturesque Amalfi Coast, once a playground for Hollywood royalty with silver screen icons such as Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren basking on private beaches, is now earning a considerably less refined reputation due to overwhelming cruise ship tourism.
With colossal cruise ships queuing up to offload day-trippers at the port of Positano, the packed streets are beginning to resemble something from 'the Third World,' according to one local hotelier. During a single 48-hour window, more than 28,000 cruise ship passengers disembarked on the island of Ischia, just north of Capri.
Local Frustration Boils Over
Salvatore Gagliano, owner of the five-star Grand Hotel Tritone in Praiano, described how the enormous influx of visitors is rendering the once-exclusive resorts virtually uninhabitable. 'These are scenes straight out of the Third World,' he told The Telegraph. 'The roads are narrow. When they are blocked there is total confusion.' He called for restrictions on the number of vessels bringing huge crowds to resort towns south of Naples.
Residents say they are effectively trapped in their own properties during the holiday season. One wrote on Facebook: 'We have reached our limit — as citizens we have to lock ourselves inside our homes.'
Mayors Acknowledge Limited Powers
July and August are the busiest months, and following last summer's influx, locals turned on their own leaders with angry complaints. Daniele Milano, the mayor of Amalfi, admitted he lacks the power to prevent massive cruise ships from unleashing so-called 'mordi e fuggi' (eat-and-run) tourists. His counterpart on Capri insisted that criticism of local authorities was unfair, posting on Facebook: 'If we're going to talk about this, we must do so in a serious and constructive manner; the many pointless comments or attention-grabbing images amount to nothing and serve no purpose.'
Day-Tripper Deluge
A visit by The Mirror's Sophie Law to Positano last summer revealed a similarly congested scene. 'At times, particularly near the port, movement became difficult without bumping into other visitors,' she said. 'The smell of engine oil and exhaust fumes filled the air, while the noise of crowds made the experience anything but relaxing.'
Today's cruise ships can carry far more passengers than older vessels. For instance, Harmony of the Seas, presently sailing off southern Spain, can hold well over 6,000 guests. When day-trippers pour off such ships, they can instantly double the population of tiny coastal communities.
Soaring Cruise Numbers
It isn't just ship capacity that's soaring — the number of voyages is climbing dramatically too. In 2020, roughly 5.8 million people embarked on an ocean cruise; by 2026, that number is forecast to surpass 37 million, with predictions suggesting 42 million annually by 2028.
Such trends have sparked an intensifying backlash against mass tourism throughout the Mediterranean, with demonstrations erupting in Spain, the Canary Islands and now Italy. Yet data from the Cruise Lines International Association suggests the industry generates approximately €7.3 billion (£6.3 billion) for the Italian economy and sustains over 100,000 jobs — an economic argument that continues to override local concerns about overcrowding.
