A European island once associated with glamorous celebrities and luxury travel is set to introduce a raft of new tourism rules this summer in a bid to cut down on overcrowding and bad behaviour.
In the 1960s, A-listers flocked to Capri to live the Dolce Vita, with celebrities from Jackie Kennedy to Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot spotted on its sunsoaked streets or arriving in yachts. But the popularity of the island has soared in recent years leading to its beaches becoming overcrowded and bottlenecks of people along its narrow streets.
The sun-soaked hotspot, which sits in the Gulf of Naples, is now fighting back against overtourism with a range of measures aimed at cutting down the crowds during the summer season.
Tour groups, which often block the streets close to historic sites, will now be limited to 40 people. Groups of over 20 may no longer use loudspeakers, cutting down the noise at the island’s top tourist attractions.
People wandering the streets can also avoid the menace of having huge umbrellas shoved in their faces. Tour guides can now only use a discreet sign to guide their groups, and not the huge golf umbrellas that are often used for people to follow.
It’s not the first time the island has cracked down on antisocial behaviour. It once famously banned excessively noisy footwear that would cause disruption on its cobbled streets. This led to reports of a flip-flop ban, although this wasn’t confirmed by official sources.
Capri gets about 5,000 visitors a day in the peak summer, as it’s just a short ferry ride from Sorrento and Naples, making it a popular day trip. There’s currently no fee for day visitors, but there is a tourist tax for overnight stays which varies from €2 to five per person per night depending on accommodation class.
Other Italian destinations have also put measures in place to tackle overtourism. Perhaps most famously Venice, which recently announced it’s bringing back the Venice Access Fee for tourists in 2026.
The fee, which is payable on certain peak dates such as weekends in the summer, is €5 daily for those who register and pay online at least four days before their visit. Last-minute visitors are charged €10. The fee must be paid for all visitors over the age of 14, and while children don’t need to pay, they should still be registered before a visit.
Overnight visitors also have to pay a tourist tax between €1 and €5 per person per night depending on where they stay.
Other Italian spots putting in overtourism measures include Pompeii, which now has a daily visitor limit of 20,000, and La Pelosa Beach in Sardinia which will cap numbers at 1,500 visitors per day. Visitors to the beach will also need to pay a booking fee of €3.50, and fabric towels are strictly prohibited from being placed on the sand. Sunbathers need to use straw or bamboo mats underneath to prevent erosion in this beautiful spot.
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