Cinque Terre, train fares up to 24 euros per day, the Park protests

“Excessively increasing the fares for the entire Cinque Terre Express season would not affect hit-and-run tourism as much as tourism that chooses Cinque Terre as a destination.” The alarm comes from Donatella Bianchi, president of the Cinque Terre National Park, regarding the draft agreement that the Liguria Region and Trenitalia have found regarding increases in rail transport tariffs in the Riviera Spezzina. In particular, according to a scheme already sent to the mayors, a day ticket would cost up to 24 euros, compared to the current 12, on Saturdays and Sundays between 16 March and 3 November. Weekdays in June and September would also undergo increases of around 50%.

A proposal that has raised the Park council’s “concern about the impact it could have on the sale of the Park Service Card and the repercussions on the entire territorial system”, reads a note. A portion of the card’s revenues in fact go to services for residents and tourists, which the Park quantifies at 2.5 million euros in 2023, maintenance, research and mitigation projects for hydrogeological risk for around one million and support for the agricultural sector for a another million euros. The Region-Trenitalia agreement also includes a contribution of 500 thousand euros in favor of each subscribing municipality and various discounts and freebies for residents, especially students.

The mayors attended the council meeting today Fabrizia Pecunia (Riomaggiore), Francesco Villa (Vernazza) ed Emanuele Moggia (Monterosso) who is also vice president of the Park. “An efficient, dynamic and sustainable mobility system has developed over the years around the map – said Bianchi – because it is based on integrated public transport, in a territory with a difficult conformation, which has been able to evolve and respond to the various emerging needs. To date 40% of visitors access our territory by purchasing a multi-service Park card: for this reason it continues to represent a valid tool for better planning an effective flow distribution system”. The Park council has requested an urgent meeting with the Liguria Region.