Tourism yes or tourism no? That is the question. Perhaps bringing up Shakespeare is a bit excessive, but without a doubt the topic of sustainable tourism without excess is increasingly topical on Lake Como, starting from the Lecco branch which in recent years has seen a real boom in visitors. Positive news in itself, but it raises many organizational and management issues that are causing discussion among local institutions and the bodies responsible for the complex management of public transport. The environmentalist association “Ilaria Alpi” is also intervening today in the debate, speaking of an “Overtourism that is harmful to the environment”.
“The Lake Como area is not able to support large flows of tourists”
“Overtourism on the Lario is bad for the environment – Roberto Fumagalli begins on behalf of the ‘Ilaria Alpi’ Environment club – Or, it would be better to say, the territory of Lake Como is not able to support large flows of tourists. We are seeing it, with ever greater intensity, in the current situation. This concerns the capacity of the historic centers of tourist towns to accommodate a large number of people, but it also applies to travel by car on the roads of the Lake, or for navigation by boat or ferry”.
“But it concerns above all the environmental and landscape impact that the new structures hypothesized in the area could have – continues Fumagalli – I am thinking of the project for new ski facilities with artificial snow at low altitude on Monte San Primo. And I am thinking of the project for a new mega Resort tourism in Torno. Both of these projects would have a high impact on the natural environment and on roads. The territory of Lake Como is very delicate from a hydrogeological point of view, as we have been able to verify in recent years and also in this last period territory that presents us with the bill with every storm.”
How to get out of overtourism?
“How can we get out of overtourism?” – The representatives of the green association ask themselves – We need more sustainable forms of tourism that rely on public transport to get around (which, in any case, should be strengthened as a priority for the benefit of commuters), but above all we must not foresee any new tourist infrastructure. We could introduce a restricted number of people in the most sensitive historic centers and regulate short-term rentals, while at the same time favoring forms of widespread tourism of quality (and not quantity), which focuses on culture, the environment, the recovery of old abandoned buildings in ‘minor’ centers, favoring the local and youth economy, for the direct benefit of the communities of the territory”. The debate, therefore, continues.
