09-05-2025
75,000 tourists descend on tiny town with population of 8,000 creating 'gridlock'
The town of Sirmione in Italy was overtaken with visitors waiting 40 minutes to get through the gates
A small Italian town was swarmed by tourists on the May Day Bank holiday as a reported 75,000 visitors arrived to sightsee. Sirmione, on the shores of Italy's Lake Garda which has a population of just 8,000, was overrun with traffic halted and gridlock.
Sightseers eager to spend the day in the scenic spot were forced to wait 40 minutes to get into the town through it's gates in the centre and locals were left furious by the scenes. The narrow streets were thronged with holidaymakers who were there to visit the town's Roman ruins, thermal baths and it's 13th century Scaligero Castle.
Residents of the medieval town were left furious by the invasion which halted vehicles and even the town's electric buses, reports The Sun.
They took to social media to vent their anger as videos on platforms showed crowds piling into the area.
On X, formerly Twitter, one said: "Overrun by tourists — chaos, gridlock, and hours of waiting. A crisis that must be urgently addressed and regulated. It damages our heritage and turns the experience into a negative one."
The Mirror said another disgruntled user raged: "Overtourism is what happens when presence is confused with existence.
"Fast, loud, empty. Like fast fashion — disposable and harmful. Travel less, mean more."
A local group called Siamo Sirmione ('We Are Sirmione') also spoke out against overtourism in their home city - which has been famously linked to historical figures such as Sigmund Freud to James Joyce.
They said: "If this is the council's management model the risk is not just hardship for residents but a real and lasting harm for the tourism and image of Sirmione."
Roberto Salaorni, the official responsible for transport, admitted the crowds could have been managed better.
He said: "This is the first thing to do, possibly installing a barrier at the entrance to the castle, which would enable us to manage exceptional situations such as we saw on Friday."
But he added he'd never "seen so many people" visiting Sirmione or the neighbouring towns.
Italy is among a number of European destinations that have been fighting against high levels of tourism.
In Venice, local officials were forced to limit large tourist groups - but the rule has long been ignored.
Marco Merlo, president of the hotel and restaurant operators association, told the Times that he was "very worried about public safety and the quality of life for tourists, residents and workers."
He said: "We hope the council will involve us in finding effective and widely agreed strategies."
