Italian Dolomites tighten tourist rules as visitor numbers surge
Authorities in the Italian Dolomites are deploying police and rangers to enforce new access restrictions, a regulatory shift highlighting the growing public safety and infrastructure costs of overtourism.
Local authorities in the Italian Dolomites have introduced strict new access rules and deployed police to curb surging tourist crowds. The measures follow viral videos showing hundreds of visitors waiting in the sun for over an hour at Tre Cime di Lavaredo, where the shuttle from Misurina to rifugio Auronzo was overwhelmed.
The crackdown reveals the mounting pressure on mountain infrastructure as visitor numbers climb. The Veneto regional government expects a significant rise in tourists this summer, partly due to the international visibility Cortina d’Ampezzo gained from co-hosting the Winter Olympics. Unmanaged influxes have already created safety risks, including an incident this summer where sunbathers on an emergency helicopter landing pad delayed a hiker's rescue.
In response, the Cortina d’Ampezzo council is increasing police presence on hiking trails from July through September. Officers will enforce bans on wild camping, unauthorised picnicking, and bathing in rivers to stop environmentally harmful behaviour. “It’s not about limiting tourism, but about managing it intelligently, ensuring respect for our trails, meadows, and the most vulnerable high-altitude areas," local councillor Stefano Ghezze said. Belluno province president Marco Staunovo Polacco indicated these checks could extend to other parts of the province.
Neighbouring Bolzano-South Tyrol is taking a different regulatory approach, restricting private vehicle access at Lake Braies and the Plätzwiese plateau. From July 1st to September 15th, between 9am and 4pm, cars need an online reservation or valid transit permit; otherwise, access is limited to public transport, bicycles, or foot. The province has also banned motorsport events above 1,600 metres to cut noise and pollution. Fifteen rangers will be posted at hotspots like Lake Carezza and the Bletterbach gorge, though unlike Cortina's police, they carry no enforcement powers and rely on voluntary compliance.
Officials and critics point to social media as a primary driver of the overcrowding. “Tourists effortlessly reach 2,600 metres above sea level [by cable car] to take photos of the peaks and the panorama and then return,” said Christina Demetz, communications manager for Val Gardena’s press office. Last summer, the Odle hiking trail to Seceda was similarly jammed with visitors seeking the perfect photograph.
