Alto Adige: It’s An Excellent Destination But Tourist Numbers Are Being Cut Down

You can’t downplay how appealing the Ritten plateau and other expansive Dolomite landscapes in Alto Adige are. As a result, thousands of people regularly flock to Alto Adige for fun and to have a stunning view of the spectacular peaks there.

However, in an effort to prevent overtourism or overpopulation at this destination, the Italian-based Alto Adige has set a limit on visitor numbers this time.

The independent district of Alto Adige, otherwise called Bolzano – South Tyrol, in the north of the nation, has presented a cutoff on short-term guests, covering numbers to 2019 levels and forcing a restriction on any new accommodation openings – except if another has shut.

One of the most well-known entry points to the Dolomites is this region, which borders Austria. Tourists flock here to see pretty, craggy mountains that turn pink at sunset, dreamy glacial lakes, and cute Tyrolean towns where they eat dumplings, drink local beer, and practice their German – the province is bilingual.

Capital Bolzano is also home to one world-famous resident: “Ötzi the Iceman,” the naturally mummified body of a local man who died around 5,200 years ago. His body – along with his almost perfectly preserved clothes – has a museum to itself in the city.

Arnold Schuler, who is responsible for the tourism in the territory and who proposed the new regulation, said that the district had reached at the breaking point of what it could take.

Officials claim that they ran out of resources and encountered traffic issues as a result. Alto Adige officials want to guarantee the quality of life for locals and tourists, which has become increasingly difficult over the past decade because residents also struggle to find housing.

Alto Adige is known as an outside Haven, yet Schuler says that its longstanding reputation has begun to be endangered by the sheer quantities of individuals visiting the region.

According to Italy’s tourism officials, “Tourists come here to hike and to see beautiful places, not to find themselves in a traffic jam.”

34 million overnight stays in the region in 2022 proved to be excessive at some point.

The law, which went into effect in September 2022, prohibits anyone from opening a new lodging establishment—which includes an Airbnb—or adding additional rooms without first obtaining permission from their local authority.

Entrepreneurs currently have until June 30, 2023 to answer to the officials the number of visitors they that were really lodging in 2019 – basically adding sofabeds to the count, which were not recently included in true figures.

The limit that can never be surpassed in the future will be marked by the final number. Each comune (local authority) will also have a set number of rooms, representing the total number of businesses under its jurisdiction.

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In order to assist small businesses, an additional 7,000 imagined “beds” will be allocated by the local Alto Adige authorities to small businesses with a capacity of less than 40 guests. If someone wants to open a business in a town with very low tourism levels in the future, an additional 1,000 “beds” have been reserved for that purpose.

Lago di Braies (also known as Pragser Wildsee), a picture-perfect glacial lake in the mountains and a popular Instagram destination, has been accessible only by reservation since 2021 during peak season. He refers to the move as a “pilot project” because the situation was getting out of hand.

In the past, it was also difficult to get to the vast Alpine meadow known as the Seiser Alm, or Alpe di Siusi in German. Between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., the road up to the plateau is closed to private vehicles; anyone wishing to travel must use public transportation. Inhabitants and those with hotel reservations on the level are absolved.

The influx of tourists, according to reports, is also making life difficult for locals, who are having trouble finding housing.

Because so many lodgings have been converted into tourist accommodations, finding a place to live is becoming increasingly challenging. As a result, rental prices have also gone up.

There are approximately 532,000 people living in the region, with residents outnumbering tourists by roughly two to one. However, this average is based on some areas that don’t get much traffic. In some places, the number of residents outnumbers the number of tourist lodging options.

Meanwhile, the quantity of Airbnbs in the area has expanded by 400% in the beyond five years.

It will be challenging, but not necessarily impossible, for anyone who wants to open a hotel, bed and breakfast, or vacation rental in the future.

A 100-page document titled “Program For The Development Of Tourism Beyond 2030 In The Province” includes this restriction move.

The 100-page document explains how the program’s years of research will lead to sustainable development in the region. The introduction of a “green star” rating system to honor hotels that practice sustainable practices is another move.