Rome earned the nickname the Eternal City, but that's because whoever gave it to it hadn't heard of Airbnb. The capital of the ancient world is dying of success and mass tourism is to blame. The streets have been emptied of residents and the Romans have been replaced by tourists, wheeled suitcases and holiday apartments. The numbers don't lie: fewer people live in the center of Rome than in a town.
According to data from the Municipality of Rome, there are only 23,000 people left living regularly in the historic center of Rome, 38% fewer inhabitants than a decade ago. And in Trastévere, the most charming and romantic neighborhood in the city, there are only 13,000 people, 45% less. In other words: in one of the most popular and famous cities on the planet, fewer people live than in Aranda de Duero.
They said that Rome would be eternal, but its neighborhoods have become mere decorations without soul or charm, more designed to please and entertain the tourist than for the well-being of the neighbor. Everything is full of souvenir shops, poor quality ice cream parlors and cafes cool with avocado toast. It is the theme park of history.
The modern tourism business is a monster that respects nothing, that plunders for profit without thinking about the inhabited space. Consume cities. It happened with Venice, with Japan and now with Rome, leaving empty shells that are not noticed, because the hustle and bustle of tourism hides it.
According to The Times, in Rome alone it is estimated that the number of tourist accommodations has increased from 17,000 in 2021 to more than 40,000 today, many of them in the historic center of the city. The problem is such that the city council of Rome has openly declared war on the owners, to the point of banning the famous key boxes for check-in. Meanwhile, the Italian government is trying to regulate the proliferation of accommodation through a registry of tourist accommodation that it has launched in 2025.
But it is not only the problem of tourist accommodation that is behind it. There is also the problem of the price of the house and the purchase, bleeding the local until it throws in the towel and leaves for the outskirts. And with it he takes the Italian charm. The average price of a rental in Rome has skyrocketed and it is already difficult to find two-bedroom apartments for less than 1,400 euros per month.
Let Rome serve as an example, because if the historic capital of the West has fallen, no city is safe. It's a win-winthe inhabitants can continue making their lives in their own city and the tourists can enjoy its charms and peculiarities, its gastronomy and its culture.
