Although the ski season has not officially started, an Italian resort is already preparing to avoid overcrowding. Madonna di Campiglio, a luxury resort in the northern Italian Dolomites, has announced that it will limit the number of skiers on the slopes during peak days this winter. The resort says this is an effort to “prioritise quality over quantity”.
The resort has decided to take measures to keep its slopes serene and pleasant by regulating the number of ski passes it issues, in order to maintain the ‘ideal number’ of skiers per day. Access will be capped at 15,000 skiers per day on 17 critical dates during the season, primarily around the New Year, from 28th December to 5th January, and during the 2026 Carnival week, which falls next year from 15th to 22nd February.
Bruno Felicetti, general manager of the Funivie Madonna di Campiglio lift company, told Corriere del Trentino that the measure aims to “manage critical days in advance, without experiencing bottlenecks”, preserving both safety and the visitor experience.
“When there are too many people, the quality of service and the perception of safety decrease, ’ he added. ‘Accidents increase in proportion to the number of visitors. We need to impose limits.”
Madonna di Campiglio, nestled in the Brenta Dolomites – one of Italy’s most scenic, UNESCO-listed mountain ranges – advertises the new measure on its website as “quality before quantity”, intended to ensure “safety and skiers’ satisfaction”.
@madonna.di.campiglio Fall in love. Again. With Madonna di Campiglio ❄️⛷️ #madonnadicampiglio #dolomitidibrenta #skiareacampiglio #visittrentino ♬ suara asli – Jaa || 𝕿𝖊𝖒𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖊🎟️
The rule will not affect holders of multi-day or international ski passes, including those for Pinzolo and Folgarida Marilleva, which will remain valid as usual.
The decision follows severe overcrowding last season, when 23,000 skiers visited on a single day.
However, not everyone in the Dolomites is convinced by the move, and some fear it might be too little. Catherine Warrilow, a tourism strategist and the managing director of The Plot, told Euronews that “limiting visitors per day to the slopes and lifts may reduce wider impacts but, in my experience, it needs a far more holistic approach, coordinated with the local tourism association, businesses, and residents”.
She further suggested that, if the aim is to achieve “wider accessibility and sustainability”, it would be wiser to address the issue on a regional rather than local level. She described the current plan as more of a “visitor adjustment management system designed to balance visitor numbers throughout the ski season and prevent serious injury” than a substantial measure to reduce the impact of tourism on local areas.
Madonna di Campiglio fa da apripista al numero chiuso per le vacanze in montagna. Una misura volta a limitare il fenomeno dell'overtourism
— Rai Radio1 (@Radio1Rai) October 6, 2025
Emanuela Ronzitti GR1 pic.twitter.com/YdT3HwdrrT
Madonna di Campiglio is joining a growing list of Italian destinations introducing crowd control measures amid concerns about over-tourism. Venice has confirmed that it will reintroduce an entry fee for day visitors next summer and increase the number of peak-season days on which the fee applies from 54 to 60.
Overcrowding has also affected the nearby region of South Tyrol, which recorded a new high of 37.1 million overnight stays in 2024, marking a 2.6% increase from the previous year. In Seceda, which is famous for its Olde Peaks Trail, local landowners introduced a €5 tourist fee after the path went viral online and became littered with rubbish.
It is not inconceivable that Madonna di Campiglio will extend its visitor capacity beyond the ski season in the future, as soaring temperatures in Italy have led people to leave the beaches in summer and seek the cooler air of the mountains. Regions that were once strictly winter destinations are under increasing pressure to manage tourism all year round, striking a balance between economic growth and preserving their fragile ecosystems.
