Stunning vacation hot spot turns into overcrowded nightmare as tourists flood streets

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TheAmalfi Coastdraws millions of tourists each year — and the surge is now straining the region.

Footage captured on May 1 shows overwhelming crowds in Positano, a small cliffside town just south of Naples.

Tourists were seen standing still on a tight walkway, leaving little room to move.

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Other viral videos of the overcrowded streets sparked backlash among Italian social media users.

“This is not tourism, it’s disgusting,” one viewer said.

Split image of packed crowds in Positano

Social media exposure and tour itineraries are driving more visitors to the Amalfi Coast, experts say — as shown above in both images.(@taikurtoliau via Storyful)

“What have you become, my beloved Positano?” another mused.

“You can’t have thesetour groups of 40 peopletaking up so much space all at once, and let all these people come in and get stuck like this,” a tourist wrote.

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The tourist added, “Glad we left early today.What a mess!And such a sad story for Positano, and this whole region.”

Former mayor Salvatore Gagliano, owner of a local hotel, told The Telegraph that the tourist scenes are “straight out of the Third World.”

Overcrowding on the Amalfi Coast has sparked backlash from locals and tourists alike.(Jin Mamengni/Xinhua via Getty Images)

“The roads are narrow,” he said.“When they are blocked, there is total confusion.”

The Amalfi Coast isn’t uniquely overcrowded, but it feels more packed thanother destinations, said Lee Abbamonte, a New York-based travel expert.

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Abbamonte, who says he“seems even more crowded because it’s a smaller place with smaller streets and less capacity for visitors.”

“The key is planning to travel smarter.”

He said they also “get a lot of day trippers coming down from Rome and Napoli.A lot of this is due to the increase in the Amalfi Coast’s profile on social media.… The secret is out.”

Abbamonte said he’s travelingto Italyin June, and hopes to avoid crowds by going to the Aeolian Islands off Sicily instead.

The Aeolian Islands are “similar in beauty, but way lesser known,” Abbamonte said.

Packed crowds in Amalfi Coast village center

Visitors are seeking quieter alternatives as crowds worsen along the Amalfi Coast.(Jon G.Fuller/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The Amalfi Coast is becoming “more challenging” for tourists, saidJordi Lippe-McGraw, a New York-based travel expert and influencer.

“I’ve been there in the past, and while it was busy, it didn’t feel overwhelming at the time,�

“If possible, stay in a quieter nearby town and use boats instead of driving.”

“If possible, stay in a quieter nearby town and use boats instead of driving,” she said.“Adjust expectations.”

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Angel Castellanos, a California-based travel expert and host of “The Tour Guy�

The coast is experiencing “the collision of social media hype, cruise traffic, and post-pandemic demand, all in one of the most physically constrained destinations in Europe,” he said.