Overtourism, Padua ranks 22nd in Italy: "The situation must not worsen."

To analyze the phenomenon of overtourism (and more), the Demoskopica Institute has mapped the ICST (Comprehensive Index of Tourist Overcrowding), "a preliminary tool for the governance of local tourism systems," the Institute specifies, "aimed at guiding more informed policies through analysis of tourism's impact on population density, the use of accommodation infrastructure, the tourist-resident ratio, and the environmental impact of waste production."

Ten provincial tourism systems are at the top for tourist overcrowding: Rimini, Venice, Bolzano, Livorno, Naples, Trento, and Verona (which were already classified as "Very High" in 2024), joined in this 2025 analysis by Milan, Rome, and Trieste. All are experiencing growing challenges regarding the liveability of their territories, the resilience of local systems, and the overall sustainability of the destinations involved. In this ranking, which takes into account tourists and bed spaces per square kilometer; tourists compared to residents; bed occupancy rate; and per capita waste rate, Padua ranks 22nd with an index of 104.1, which, compared to Rimini's 141.5, is still "bearable," especially considering Venice (second place) and Verona (ninth place), two Veneto regions under much greater pressure.

But how many tourists are present in the Padua area per square kilometer? There are 2,470.1 (19th place) compared to Rimini's 17,369.5 but also Venice's 15,707.6 and Verona's 6,310.9. Padua drops in the rankings if we look at the number of beds per square kilometer, which is 19.2, a figure that places us in 36th place with Venice still second (166.6) and Verona eighth (60.4). "The value," comments the president of Ascom Confcommercio of Padua, Patrizio Bertin, "if combined with that of the use of beds (35.2% and fourth place in the national panorama) highlights how our province is experiencing a certain shortage of beds. If until recently, let's say before Covid and the UNESCO recognition of Urbs Picta, hotel beds might have been considered sufficient, now they are clearly no longer sufficient, and this has led to a rush towards short-term rentals which, without regulations, are causing a whole series of problems: no spaces for workers and students, no local shops, a city increasingly exposed to the risk of losing its identity.

Finally, the share of urban waste, the costs of which, for the record, fall on residents. In this ranking, Padua ranks 46th with 7.9 kilograms of waste per tourist. This is far from Rimini's 76.8 kg, but also from Bolzano's 76.5 kg (second), Venice's 68.3 kg (third), and Verona's 27.2 kg (12th). Half a kilo of waste per tourist places Benevento in last place (107th), while, returning to Molise, Isernia (103rd) produces one kilo and Campobasso 1.9 kg (93rd). "The survey," Bertin concludes, "confirms that managing tourism is no longer just a challenge, but a priority for the sustainability of most Italian cities, and Padua is among them. While overcrowding ultimately affects the tourist experience, it also affects the quality of life of local communities. The increase in overcrowding is therefore a wake-up call that requires the adoption of appropriate strategies. Generally speaking, regulating flows and promoting alternative destinations is essential, but local interventions on rents and the maintenance of neighborhood shops are also a way to ensure that tourism remains a resource and doesn't turn into a crisis factor. Demoskopika's data shows that Padua can still pull through. But it must not waste time.