This Italian City Has Introduced One-Way Pedestrian Traffic Down One Of Its Most Famous Streets

Tourism numbers have rocketed this year, returning to nearly pre-pandemic levels.

As a result, some popular destinations are already struggling with overcrowding.

In Italy, one city had imposed a one way system in one of its most visited streets.

The measure is not to curb vehicle traffic, however, but rather to manage the overwhelming number of pedestrians.

Where has Italy introduced tourist restrictions?

The southern Italian city of Naples has introduced one way foot traffic along one of its most visited streets.

Via San Gregorio Armeno is famed for its tiny workshops where craftsmen mould and paint miniature figurines.

The little statues, animals and objects are used to create elaborate nativity scenes, known as presepi.

As Christmas nears, tourists flock to Via San Gregorio Armeno to admire the intricate figures and extravagant stable scenes.

In recent decades, the workshops have also produced models of celebrities and politicians alongside the traditional religious figures.

But such is the narrow street’s popularity that the city council has had to intervene this year.

Authorities have imposed a one way system for visitors to the crowded pedestrianized street.

The council says the number of tourists has “dangerously compromised” public safety.

The historic road “suffers from pedestrian congestion, especially in the Christmas period,” it added in a statement released to CNN.

The streets in this area, which date from ancient Roman times, are “mainly without sidewalks” leading to “situations of exceptional crowding, because of the vast foot traffic.”

Authorities have described the high visitor numbers around the Christmas period as a “risk for public and private safety, compromising minimum safety standards.”

Overcrowding risks “dangerously compromising the safety of citizens, who are sometimes literally trapped within the crowd without being able to get out.”

When will the one way system be in place?

One way foot traffic will be introduced for the first time over the weekend.

The visitor restrictions will be enforced by police from December 7-11 and 17-23, from 9 am to 9 pm.

On Christmas Eve, the one way system will be in place from 9 am to 3 pm.

During these times, visitors wishing to walk down the popular street will need to enter from the lower end on Via San Biagio dei Librai – dubbed Spaccanapoli.

Authorities also say police can choose to close the street completely during exceptionally busy periods.

The historic center of Naples had seen soaring visitor numbers this year.

Local newspaper il Mattino reports that the city’s hotels were at 80% occupancy in the first week of December.