September 10, 2025, 8:43 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore–the five towns that together form the Ligurian region of Cinque Terre (translated as “Five Villages”)–have long been major tourist attractions. Current developments are all the more surprising. Official sources confirm a significant decline in visitor numbers. This trend is also evident in other parts of Italy. TRAVELBOOK explains how this came about.
Noticeably Fewer Tourists in Cinque Terre
According to the Italian daily newspaper “La Repubblica,” the entire Cinque Terre region recorded around 50,000 fewer overnight stays between June 2024 and June 2025 compared to the same period the previous year. The town of Levanto was particularly affected, with 17,097 fewer tourists, according to data from the Ligurian tourism observatory. This represents a decline of 9.04 percent. Vernazza also experienced a significant drop, with visitor numbers down by 16.31 percent. Riomaggiore saw a decrease of 8.33 percent, while Monterosso experienced a relatively moderate decline of 2.47 percent with 2,841 fewer guests.
“Even on Ferragosto, rooms were empty,” reports the president of the tourism association of Manarola, a town in Cinque Terre, to the newspaper. Ferragosto is an Italian holiday celebrated annually on August 15. It traditionally marks the peak of the summer vacation season and is associated with religious aspects, as it coincides with the Feast of the Assumption. Anyone who has vacationed in Italy knows that around this date, prices for flights and hotel rooms are significantly higher, and hotels are often fully booked. Not this year. Davide Natale, a regional parliamentarian, told “La Repubblica” about financial losses amounting to around 10 million euros.
Cinque Terre is not the only region in Italy lamenting the absence of tourists. Lake Garda is missing German and Italian vacationers in particular. These are considered significantly more willing to spend compared to the current visitors from Northern Europe, tourism experts explain. They are less inclined to dine out and prefer camping over staying in accommodations. You can learn more about the current situation at Lake Garda here.
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Reasons for the Absence of Tourists in Cinque Terre
Not long ago, Cinque Terre had too much of what is now missing. Like many other places in Italy, this region suffered from overtourism, which could pose serious risks here. It is very popular for hiking–this is the best way to explore the towns of Vernazza, Monterosso al Mare, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. New rules were introduced to maintain order on the particularly busy routes.
On certain days, for example, hiking is only allowed in one direction between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. More information can be found on the Cinque Terre website. Additionally, since July of this year, flip-flops are no longer allowed on the hiking trails. Violations of this ban–specifically wearing anything other than sturdy hiking footwear–are subject to hefty fines. Entrance fees are also required for popular routes, including the famous panoramic path Via dell’Amore, which was recently reopened after years of closure and can only be visited with a prior reservation. These various new hurdles for hikers likely contributed to fewer tourists visiting Cinque Terre.
Major Providers Focus on Day Tourism
In a report by “La Repubblica,” it is also criticized that large international tour operators are buying up entire booking contingents in the Cinque Terre region. This displaces local tour operators who offer multi-day stays, guided hikes, or experience tours. They cannot compete with the prices and reach of the major players. For the region, the growing popularity of guided day tours is particularly problematic. These allow visitors to see several attractions in a short time, such as all of Cinque Terre in just one day. As a result, visitors come only for a few hours, spend little money, and do not stay overnight. Hotels, restaurants, and smaller providers thus miss out on the revenue they once relied on.
Last year, the prices for train tickets between the villages of Cinque Terre were also increased to regulate the influx of tourists. It is likely that the government would prefer to reverse the various recently implemented measures in light of the current situation.