Pristine Italian island opens to tourists
25 March 2008An Italian island that has never before been open to leisure visitors is set to welcome tourists soon, according to reports.
Montecristo, which was made famous by Alexandre Dumas' classic adventure story The Count of Monte Cristo, could soon welcome up to 1,000 visitors every year.
The island is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the coast of Tuscany and south of the island of Elba.
Until now, it has been vigorously protected, with only researchers and scientists allowed to set foot on it, private boats prohibited from mooring there and swimmers banned from its waters.
However, the Tuscan Archipelago Parks Commission, which manages the affairs of seven different islands, has said that up to 1,000 people will be allowed to visit Montecristo every year, as long as they take an environmental course beforehand.
"Those who visit it must be educated enough to understand what treasures they are being allowed to see," Mario Tozzi, head of the commission, told the Times.
In addition to taking out travel insurance, people interested in visiting the island should ensure they apply to join one of the guided tours online.