This shouldn't cause anyone too much anxiety as it's mostly to keep current numbers from getting any bigger. What is different is that tickets will now be nominative - likely to prevent scalping - and entry to be via timed slots during the busiest season.
It's a vast excavation that can handle a large amount of visitors although the majority don't seem to make it to the further reaches.
From the article;
The park’s management is also trying to attract more tourists to visit
other ancient sites connected to Pompeii by a free shuttle bus under
the “Greater Pompeii” project, including Stabia, Torre Annunziata and
Boscoreale sites.
It's a good idea to get visitors to those other worthy sites but they could do a better job of it. We had to search for the shuttles as there was no signage at all. We also had to literally wake up the driver to find out if we were at the right place. I've only been to Pompeii in mid-October and late April so I haven't experienced how crowded it can get, but the place is so large with so many areas that are ignored but worthwhile, that with a bit of planning it wouldn't be hard to stay away from crowds. All the tour guides and the RS recommended walk all seem to focus on the same places.
Kathy, we saw that item on the news today.
"Wow, 20,000 as a limit!" I gasped to my wife. "How many were in attendance when we went to Herculaneum at opening (time) last year?
"A few hundred. If that," was her response.
I am done. the numbers
All the tour guides and the RS recommended walk all seem to focus on
the same places.
You're likely right, Allan. Most Pompeii tours are 2 hours and looked to be on the same route: we spent over 5 there on our own so were able to escape into the less-visited corners. As I recall it, we had Villa of the Mysteries and amphitheatre nearly all to ourselves. Vatican Museums probably has the same problem of the majority being on the same 'highway' to the Sistine? It's a vast place that could handle their mob more comfortably if more evenly dispersed but with the biggest chunk on a singular mission to that chapel....
(Waving at Gregg) Hi there, Zebec!
More about the cap:
https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italy-pompeii-caps-tourist-numbers-new-ticket-system.html
This, along with the article's main photo, is a little scary:
"The decision to cap visitor numbers comes after Pompeii registered a record-high 36,480 visitors on the first Sunday of October, as part of the monthly free entry scheme to Italy's state-run museums and archaeological sites. This figure was double the number of people who visited Pompeii on the free-entry Sunday in September, according to Italian culture ministry data."
Well THAT explains it.
Footnote: it's been estimated that the ancient city's population was between 15,000 - 20,000 at its peak, about a 1/3 of it is still unexcavated, and some of that will likely never see daylight.
Interesting stats Kathy. Thanks for this.
I am done. the buried
