Tourists are flocking to Mount Etna to watch lava flow down the slopes of Europe’s tallest active volcano, prompting concerns among local guides about overcrowding and safety.
Etna has been spewing ash and lava for several days, repeatedly disrupting flights at nearby Catania airport, a key gateway to Sicily.
Companies organising nighttime hikes have reported a surge in demand. Guide Etna, which takes several dozen visitors up the volcano each evening, is receiving around 300 inquiries a day — three times the average for the summer season, guide Daniele Perricelli told AFP.
“Everyone wants to come and see the lava flow. Everyone is drawn to this unique beauty,” said Perricelli, 41.
Another guide, Ernesto Maria Magri, described the eruption as a “touristic eruption”, saying it attracted visitors because the activity could be observed from areas considered relatively safe.
But Perricelli warned that as many as 2,000 people were climbing the volcano each evening, leaving trails overcrowded.
“Yesterday, we saw some wearing flip-flops,” he said, calling for closer monitoring by authorities.
Some visitors have attempted to climb without guides, while others have been criticised online for taking photographs seemingly close to glowing lava. Perricelli said the volcano remained unstable and visitors should be accompanied by people able to assess changing conditions.
Guides said it was possible to approach within a few metres of lava flows at lower altitudes, where the rock had already cooled. Under current rules, visitors may climb independently to about 2,400 metres, but must be accompanied by a guide above that level. Etna’s summit is at 3,324 metres.
Italy’s civil protection agency has issued a yellow alert, the second level on a four-step scale. The alert indicates frequent eruptions and the possibility of explosions.
Ash clouds have forced Catania airport to suspend flights several times in recent days. The airport operator said arrivals and departures would remain halted until 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Thursday.
About 12 million passengers passed through Catania airport in 2024.
