British tourists have been warned about travelling to Italy in the next 12 months over the Roman Catholic Holy Year. The Foreign Office issued the safety and security advice, which stretches to January 2026. The Vatican will host a number of large events to celebrate the Holy Year, which usually happens once every 25 years.
Image Credit: Metro [Pope Francis meets with members of AIL (Italian Association against Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma) at the Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, December 14, 2024. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca]
With the Jubilee kicking off on Christmas Eve, more than 35 million people are expected to flock to Rome throughout 2025. This is nearly triple of the 13 million visitors the city received in 2023, Italy’s National Tourist Research Institute said. A message on the Foreign Office’s website says: ‘The Jubilee, known as the Holy Year, will take place in Rome from December 24, 2024, to January 6, 2026.
Image Credit: Metro [VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - DECEMBER 07: Newly appointed Cardinal Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, receives the biretta hat by Pope Francis during a consistory for the creation of new Cardinals at The Vatican on December 07, 2024 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Francis celebrated a consistory for the creation of 21 new Cardinals from across the globe, telling them not to be dazzled by the seduction of power, but to always walk the path of Jesus and cultivate a passion for encounter. (Photo by Alessandra Benedetti - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)]
‘The city is expected to be very busy, particularly when the bigger events take place including the Opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica on December 24, 2024.’. The Foreign Office has warned of increased levels of crime amid the high number of tourists.
Image Credit: Metro [ROME, ITALY - NOVEMBER 9: Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri walks on the temporary suspended walkway during the opening day for the new visitor experience at the Trevi Fountain, on November 9, 2024 in Rome, Italy. The suspended walkway is a temporary structure that allows visitors to experience the iconic monument while it undergoes maintenance ahead of the Vatican's Jubilee Year. The walkway, made of glass and steel, will offer a close-up view of the fountain, providing tourists with a rare perspective of the Baroque design. (Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)]
Petty crime. It said crime levels are generally low but stressed that tourists should be wary of bag-snatching and pickpocketing, particularly in city centres and at major tourist attractions. In Rome, people should be careful particularly in and around the Termini station.
Image Credit: Metro [BGUK_3108628 - VATICAN, VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis meets the participants of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the first Greccio living nativity inside the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome Pictured: Pope Francis BACKGRID UK 14 DECEMBER 2024 BYLINE MUST READ: IPA / BACKGRID UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com *Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*]
Other ‘crime hotspots’ include trains to and from airports, cruise ship ports and the ‘Circumvesuviana’ train between Naples and Sorrento. Britons were also reminded that they cannot use a police report to leave Italy if their passport is stolen.
![[Pope Francis meets with members of AIL (Italian Association against Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma) at the Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, December 14, 2024. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233177425-3d61.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - DECEMBER 07: Newly appointed Cardinal Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, receives the biretta hat by Pope Francis during a consistory for the creation of new Cardinals at The Vatican on December 07, 2024 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Francis celebrated a consistory for the creation of 21 new Cardinals from across the globe, telling them not to be dazzled by the seduction of power, but to always walk the path of Jesus and cultivate a passion for encounter. (Photo by Alessandra Benedetti - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_232370680-f536.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[ROME, ITALY - NOVEMBER 9: Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri walks on the temporary suspended walkway during the opening day for the new visitor experience at the Trevi Fountain, on November 9, 2024 in Rome, Italy. The suspended walkway is a temporary structure that allows visitors to experience the iconic monument while it undergoes maintenance ahead of the Vatican's Jubilee Year. The walkway, made of glass and steel, will offer a close-up view of the fountain, providing tourists with a rare perspective of the Baroque design. (Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SEI_228931847-acb9.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[BGUK_3108628 - VATICAN, VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis meets the participants of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the first Greccio living nativity inside the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome Pictured: Pope Francis BACKGRID UK 14 DECEMBER 2024 BYLINE MUST READ: IPA / BACKGRID UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com *Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233303491-3c67.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
