Italian Tourism: Sistine Chapel Opens Late, Mafia Shows You Around Naples : Kathika Travel Website

By Amanda Kendle on July 17th, 2009

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When tourism starts to lag, it is time to get innovative, and it sounds like that is what Italy is doing right now. Suffering in a downturn in tourism – along with most of the world – thanks to the global financial crisis, the news this week features a couple of great ideas that might make you want to hop on a plane to Rome or Naples right this minute.

Late Museum Openings at the Vatican

Unless you want to spend the night in a bar or club, there is sometimes surprisingly little to do of an evening for tourists visiting other countries, but in the last few years a few museums and other tourist attractions have started to extend their hours. Recently the Louvre in Paris started some later hours, and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence too, and this month the Vatican Museums have their turn at trialing late openings.

For the first time on July 24 – next week – the Vatican Museums will stay open until 11.00pm. This collection of museums includes the famous Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, so it is definitely worth seeing. Locals say that not only does it give visitors an interesting late night option, but seeing these sights in the late evening light (and eventually darkness) will give tourists a different impression. Get along there if you can, because if it proves popular then these late night openings will become a regular occurrence.

Avoiding Crime in Naples: Get a Criminal Guide

If you are heading off to Naples while in Italy, but feeling a little insecure about getting around the Mafia-influenced city on your own, a new scheme might help you out. About 70 ex-prisoners have been hired to help tourists find their way around Naples, while giving them tips on areas to avoid and how to protect themselves, for example, taking off expensive jewelry when approaching areas where petty crimes like pickpocketing are common.

The scheme has even got some of its funding from the European Union, although there are some local concerns that ex-criminals may not have the best “people skills” for dealing with tourists, but it sounds like something that is worth trying. If you are in Naples you will easily be able to spot these ex-con guides: they will be wearing bright yellow jackets and also carry ID cards so you can be sure you are being helped by an EX-criminal, not a current one!

photo credit: Beyond Forgetting