Rome's residents have lashed out at "zombie" tourists for "ruining" their city, with some fearing the "city will die" if no action is taken to address the issue.
In 2023, the Italian capital welcomed an estimated 35million tourists - a record-breaking figure. With attractions such as the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, it's not hard to understand why so many people are drawn to visit.
However, it seems that not all locals are thrilled about this influx of visitors, with one recently taking to Reddit to express their frustration. Posting in the r/Rome subreddit, they lamented that the city centre is becoming "more and more crowded with each passing year", which they described as both "annoying" and "unsustainable".
They identified the main issue as "the amount of waste these people generate", but also voiced complaints about tour groups of "over 50 people walking around like zombies". "They will walk over you if you are not part of their blank entourage walking in one direction, they act as if the street belongs to them," the local vented.
They also criticised tourists for consuming "disgusting" food in tourist trap areas, stating: "These vapid tourists have no interest in quality, you see people queuing to eat in the most average restaurant ever because it was on TripAdvisor."
Americans and Brits were called out specifically. The post continued: "They dump litter everywhere, Americans and Britons specially love to get drunk and scream talk loudly because they have no self control." The frustrated local concluded by warning "this city will die" if the tourist chaos isn't tackled.
While some commenters thought the original poster was a bit too critical, there was a consensus on the issue. One local said it was a "fact" that Rome is "overrun by tourists", complaining about how it is "impossible" to walk or find somewhere to eat in central areas.
They went on: "A few years ago areas such as Prati and the districts around it (the ones circling the Vatican) were normal, residential areas, while now, due to the vicinity to St Peter's, normal shops and locals have closed, substituted by souvenir shop."
Another chimed in: "Disagree with OP [the original poster] in the way he has framed the issue, but agree that the issue exists and - currently - remains largely unaddressed."
Others pointed out that Rome isn't the only city suffering from mass tourism. A commenter noted: "Let's not pretend Rome is the only victim, but mass tourism is an issue, which in my opinion needs to be controlled but I've no idea how to do it.
"The comments about Americans and Brits behaving badly, while true regarding some (just go to campo dei fiori) it's not like young Italians behave much better, and every country has its share of badly behaved tourists."
