‘We’re not anti-tourist’: Italy’s picturesque villages struggle to cope with deluge of Insta-visitors

The five villages of the Cinque Terra are determined to ensure the once-sleepy area is not overwhelmed by mass tourism

Grappling with suitcases and rucksacks, the bewildered-looking crowd that piled off the train and onto the platform at Manarola, the second smallest of the five picturesque villages that make up Italy’s the Cinque Terre, could hardly move. But still the jovial Italian steward ushering them into a single file and towards the station’s narrow exit was telling them to hurry up.

“Quick … Manarola needs more tourists!” she said in English. Barely registering her irony, the visitors picked up the pace of their shuffle before dispersing towards the tiny marina to capture an Instagram-perfect photo on the rugged riviera coastline.