Tengrinews.kz — Amid the continued growth of tourist traffic at popular beaches, Italy has begun introducing an unusual rule: some of them can now only be accessed by prior reservation.
Beach access now available only by reservation
According to The Independent, such a system is already in place on several well-known beaches in Sardinia, where authorities have limited the daily number of visitors to reduce pressure on nature and protect the coastline from the effects of mass tourism.
According to Italy’s National Institute of Statistics, in the first quarter of 2026 the country received 4.2 percent more tourists than a year earlier, while the number of overnight stays increased by 7.5 percent. Against the backdrop of growing interest in holidays in Italy, especially popular small coves and beaches have faced overcrowding.
Which beaches operate under the new rules
One of the most striking examples is the famous La Pelosa beach in Sardinia. There are currently no available booking slots there until September 15. To visit, tourists must make a reservation in advance, which is available for a maximum of four people at a time, pay a fee of 3.5 euros, or about 1,900 tenge, per person, and receive a QR code granting entry.
In addition, access to the beach is limited: from May to October, no more than 1,500 people may visit it each day.
Similar rules are in place on other beaches on the island. Cala Goloritzé, a cove on Sardinia’s eastern coast that is included on the list of UNESCO-protected sites, also admits visitors only by advance booking. Reservations are open from March to November, the entry fee is 7 euros, or about 3,750 tenge, for an adult, and the maximum capacity is just 250 people per day. A spot can be reserved no earlier than three days before the visit, but there are already no available slots for the nearest dates.
Two more popular Sardinian beaches, Cala Brigantina and Su Sirboni, also operate under an advance booking system. Their daily limits are only 60 and 786 visitors, respectively.
Why authorities decided to limit tourist flows
The environmental organization Legambiente considers such measures necessary. The organization’s tourism representative, Sebastiano Venneri, said the growth of global tourism requires new approaches to preserving natural areas.
“Something needs to be done, as the number of tourists in the world is growing from one billion in 2000 to an expected two billion by 2030,” Venneri said.
According to him, one of Sardinia’s most famous beaches is already under serious pressure.
“The Pelosa beach in Sardinia risks vanishing just by virtue of visitors removing sand on their towels,” he stressed.
New rules already spark debate
At the same time, the issue of beach access in Italy has also sparked public debate. Earlier, the governor of the southern region of Puglia, Antonio Decaro, proposed allowing vacationers to bring food to private beaches.
“We are working to make the sea, more and more, an experience of freedom, for Apulians and for those who come from outside to discover this region. The sea is a common commodity; it cannot become a luxury,” he said in a published video.
However, representatives of beach club owners opposed the initiative, saying such proposals could damage “the region’s image as a high-end holiday destination.”
The introduction of an advance booking system on popular beaches has become one way to strike a balance between the growing tourist flow and the preservation of natural areas. Now, to visit some of Italy’s most famous beaches, simply arriving at the seaside is no longer enough — a place must be booked in advance.