Tourist flights going into Portofino will rise dramatically again this year – despite British visitors this week reporting that it’s already ‘too crowded’ this summer and the Italian resort’s mayor recently introducing tough new rules on tourist behaviour.
Like much of the Med this summer, the resort, which sits on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, has also been the subject of anti-tourism protests – but figures exclusively gained by MailOnline suggest that this year far more tourists descending than in previous years.
The pretty coastal village announced on July 15th it was taking a hard line on tourists deemed to be misbehaving – introducing fines of up to 500 euros for those caught drinking alcohol in the street, wearing swimwear in its historic piazza and picnic-ing outdoors.
The temporary rules, which expire on September 30th, are part of a bid to ensure the elegant Italian resort remains civilised this summer, says its mayor, Matteo Viacava.
One tourist in the glamorous destination this week shared images of holidaymakers jostling for space on a crowded beach, saying: ‘You travelled to a “secret beach” in Portofino, except it definitely isn’t secret anymore.’
The caption read: ‘Expectation vs Reality in Portofino! Literally took one look at the crowds and left.’
Another TikToker posted a clip of a busy street in Portofino and simply wrote, ‘Watching Portofino get flooded with tourists’.
According to data collected by aviation analysts Cirium, the gateway airport to Portofino, Genoa, will see nearly 142,000 more visitors jet in to the region this year than last.
Italian idyll Portofino has long been a popular destination for Brits – but tourist numbers are rising, and recent visitors have reported overcrowding in the village’s historic streets
Elbows at dawn: One tourist disappointed with the vast crowds in Portofino posted on TikTok footage showing hundreds of people gathered around the Italian resort’s picturesque port
The figures revealed that in 2024, there were 5,038 flights and 800,100 seats arriving into Genoa from global airports.
For 2025, however, the predicted number of global flights arriving into the Italian hub is 5,650 – with 941,600 seats.
From the UK, there’s also been a significant bump in the number of Brits booking flights that will land them close to Portofino – the airport of Genoa is less than an hour west by car.
Last year saw 350 flights from the UK, with the vast majority leaving from London Stansted, with around 50 flights departing out of Manchester, with a total number of around 66,300 seats.
This year, that figure is scheduled to rise to 367 flights, equivalent to 69,600 seats.
It’s just days since the village announced it was introducing tough new rules to protect itself from the perils of overtourism.
Consuming alcohol on public streets in Portofino has been prohibited, with drinkers confined to restaurants, bars, and designated areas.
Begging, sitting, or lying on the streets, walls, sidewalks and parks has also been banned along with having picnics.
The elegant Italian resort village of Portofino as it looks from afar – but tourist numbers are rising, with around 140,000 more tourists visiting this year than last according to aviation data
Genoa is the nearest hub to Portofino – less than an hour away by car, with some 941,000 flight seats coming into the airport in 2025
Anyone who is caught violating the regulations before then will be subject to a fine of between £22 and £433.
The goal of the latest crackdown is to protect the ‘peace and quiet of residents and tourists’ in the exclusive coastal resort which brings in up to 100,000 tourists during peak season – despite the town only having a population of 400.
When it comes to madding summer crowds, much of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations paint a similar picture.
In the Italian village of Varenna – famed for its tiny streets and colourful facades of houses – Brits have complained of crowds so dense they were barely able to reach down to take their phones out of their pockets.
Meanwhile, footage from the Greek island of Santorini – adored by influencers for its breathtaking sunsets and views across the Mediterranean – show thousands of people inching along narrow streets with barely enough room to pass each other.
Disappointed sunseekers have taken to social media to share how their dream holiday didn’t quite match reality.
A holidaymaker in Lake Como, Italy, posted a video warning others what to expect, showing packed coastal pathways and an hour long line for the ferry.
The clip is captioned: ‘Lake Como in June is so amazing, the views are stunning, but so many people and waiting times.’
Europe is groaning under a tourism surge. Shocking footage reveal the extent of the crisis, with some streets so crowded that tourists are forced to shuffle shoulder-to-shoulder just to move. Pictured: A street in Positano, Italy
A holidaymaker in Lake Como, Italy posted a video warning others what to expect while visiting in the summer, showing packed coastal pathways and an hour long line for the ferry
Another Lake Como visitor likened the long queues to ‘the tourist hunger games’ and posted a picture of an endless line of people
This image shows tourists walking beside Lake Como in 2023, before it was overcrowded with tourists
Another visitor likened the experience to ‘the tourist hunger games’ alongside a seemingly endless line of people.
A woman visiting Positano, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, was also left disappointed by her experience.
She said: ‘Social media lied. I’ve been dreaming of going to Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast for years.
‘And while it is definitely a very beautiful town, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.
‘I was expecting all of the stairs, but I wasn’t expecting the magnitude of the crowds and the lineups.
‘Positano has become a travel destination where you need to have every moment of your itinerary planned out in advance, and book reservations for pretty much everything.
‘Otherwise, it will all be booked up before you even touch down in Italy.’
Meanwhile, in Greece, overcrowding is also frustrating sunseekers.
A tourist in Portofino, a small coastal town on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, revealed how even areas which are meant to be quiet have been swarmed by holidaymakers. She wrote ‘you travelled to a ‘secret beach’ in Portofino, except it definitely isn’t secret anymore’
Pictured: What tourists expect when visiting Portofino
One woman revealed how much the island of Santorini has changed since her last visit two years ago, before the tourism surge became so severe.
She posted a picture of a packed street, writing, ‘Santorini! When we stayed here in 2022, we scoffed at the people who came off the cruise ships.
‘This time, we were those people! Santorini in summer is no joke. The heat, the crowds, the lines. No magic this time. Just sweat, nausea and swollen feet.
‘Don’t be deceived by the smiling faces.’
Some areas have introduced special measures in an attempt to crack down on overcrowding.
Portofino has banned walking barefoot, picnics and drinking booze on the streets among a swathe of other prohibitions.
Tourists risk being fined for carrying out a variety of actions typically enjoyed abroad.
From July 15, travellers in Portofino will no longer be able to walk through the town barefoot, in swimwear, or topless – or sit in the piazza in such attire.
A tourist in Portofino, a small coastal town on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, revealed how even areas which are meant to be quiet have been swarmed by holiday makers. Pictured: A crowd in Positano, Italy
Consuming alcohol on public streets has also been prohibited, with only restaurants, bars and designated areas left to booze in.
Begging, sitting, or lying on the streets, walls, sidewalks and parks has also been banned along with having picnics.
The new ordinance, signed by Mayor Matteo Viacava, will take effect during the summer season and temporarily expire on September 30.
Anyone who is caught violating the regulations before then will be subject to a fine of between £22 and £433.
The goal of the latest crackdown is to protect the ‘peace and quiet of residents and tourists’ in the exclusive coastal resort which brings in up to 100,000 tourists during peak season – despite the town only having a population of 400.
The municipality had already attempted to combat troublesome tourists in 2023.
During that period, stopping at particularly popular viewpoints across the picturesque town was prohibited.
These include a tourist tax, restrictions on access and parking, and a proposed ‘saturation law’ limiting daily visitor numbers.
Another person visiting Positano, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, expressed her disappointment at the experience in a TikTok clip. She said: ‘Social media lied. I’ve been dreaming of going to Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast for years.’ Pictured: The quiet beach the woman expected
She wrote: ‘I was expecting all of the stairs, but I wasn’t expecting the magnitude of the crowds and the lineups.’ Pictured: The crowds in Positano
This image shows a quiet street in Positano, before the town suffered from overcrowding
One woman revealed how much the island of Santorini has changed since her last visit two years ago, before the tourism surge became so severe
She posted a picture of a packed street writing, ‘Santorini! When we stayed here in 2022 we scoffed at the people who came off the cruise ships. This time, we were those people! Santorini in summer is no joke’
Pictured: A coastal path in Santorini before the tourism surge
Meanwhile, Spain’s Balearic Islands have stopped using influencers to promote holiday hotspots and warned that ‘selfie tourism’ is ruining the region’s most beautiful beaches.
The move comes a year after jeering Mallorcan protestors descended on an Instagram-famous beach and blocked visitors from entering in a bid to combat mass tourism.
Local authorities had originally hoped social media stars would help relieve the strain on some locations frequented by tourists by encouraging visitors to explore less popular sites.
But the strategy has seemingly backfired, as some of these remote locations have now become flooded with selfie-snapping visitors, causing even more overcrowding and sparking further fury from locals contesting ‘over tourism.’
‘It has had the complete opposite effect to what was intended and runs contrary to government policy on containing tourism,’ a spokesman for the Balearic tourism department admitted over the weekend.
