The historic heart of Naples, a city famed for its vibrant culture and ancient streets, has become a battleground between residents and the millions of tourists who flock there each year. Locals are voicing mounting anger, claiming their daily lives are being severely disrupted and their city's unique character is being erased by the relentless surge in visitor numbers.
The Strain of 14 Million Visitors
According to data from Napoli Sotterranea, over 14 million tourists poured into Naples in 2024, solidifying its position as Italy's third-most visited city after Rome and Florence. While this influx provides a significant boost to taxi services, private tour operators, and hospitality businesses, the negative consequences for residents are becoming impossible to ignore.
Most visitors, who typically stay for four or five nights, arrive from other European nations, as well as from America, Australia, and Korea. For lifelong residents like 79-year-old Livia Coletta, the historic centre is now a place to avoid. "The historic centre is practically a no-go zone for us Neapolitans, it's so overcrowded," she told The Telegraph. She lamented that many tourists come not for deep cultural appreciation but for a quick checklist: "They drink a Spritz, they eat a pizza, they take a few photos and then they leave."
Disneyfication and the Loss of Authenticity
Experts warn that Naples is undergoing a profound transformation. Anna Fava, an overtourism specialist, describes a process of 'Disneyfication', arguing the historic centre has been turned into a 'theme park'. This is visibly evident in the changing cityscape.
Traditional, essential shops like greengrocers and ironmongers are vanishing, replaced by a parade of nearly identical restaurants all selling the same Neapolitan staples: pizza and limoncello. The phenomenon is stark in areas like the 16th-century Spanish Quarter, once a stronghold of local identity. Now, its narrow streets are adorned with murals of football icon Diego Maradona, and shops are packed with merchandise dedicated to the Napoli and Argentina legend.
While Maradona is revered locally, Ms Fava notes the area has been converted into a pilgrimage site purely for visitors, further distancing it from its original community function.
The Housing Crisis: Spiralling Rents and Airbnb Takeover
The most severe impact of overtourism, however, is on the housing market. With almost 70% of residents in central districts living in rented accommodation, as highlighted by Professor Ugo Rossi, the shift towards short-term lets is causing a crisis.
In popular districts like the Spanish Quarter and Rione Sanità, landlords are increasingly evicting long-term tenants to convert properties into lucrative holiday rentals. This has led to a dual problem: a sharp decline in available long-term homes and rent prices in the city centre skyrocketing by 40% over the last decade.
Activist and sociologist Francesco Calicchia captures the despair of many, stating that tourism is 'killing' the city and that the historic centre is 'lost and gone'. Campaigners are now urgently calling for authorities to intervene, with proposals for a cap on Airbnb-style rentals to protect the remaining local community.
The situation in Naples presents a stark warning of how the economic benefits of mass tourism can be catastrophically offset by social erosion and the loss of a city's living, breathing soul.
