Rome's Night Tourism Experiment Offers Lessons for Italy's Overcrowded South

Rome is testing a new tourism strategy this summer by opening its historic sites at night, in response to heatwaves and the crowds that saturate attractions during the day, according to France 24. The initiative includes museums, parks, archaeological sites, monuments, villas, and historic residences.

The experiment comes as Italy grapples with the twin pressures of record summer heat and overtourism, a challenge that is not confined to the capital. The approach of shifting visitor flows to cooler evening hours is being watched with interest across the country.

For southern regions like Calabria, the strategy raises questions about how to manage tourism sustainably. While the region is less overwhelmed than Rome or Florence, its coastal sites and archaeological treasures face their own seasonal strains, and the night-time model could offer a template.