UK warns its citizens from traveling to this hot European destination

Rome is gearing up for a huge influx of visitors in 2025 in the Catholic Holy Year, also known as the Jubilee Year. This religious celebration, which takes place from tomorrow, December 24, 2024 to January 6, 2026, is expected to attract millions of pilgrims and tourists from around the world.

This is especially the case during key events such as the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica. However, with a large crowd comes potential risks, and the UK Foreign Office has issued an official travel warning for British citizens planning to visit the Italian capital over the next 12 months.

The Jubilee year, which occurs once every 25 years, is of significant spiritual importance for Catholics. Pilgrims are invited to visit Rome's Christian catacombs and the city's four papal basilicas – St. Peter's Basilica, St. John's Basilica in Laterano, St. Mary's Basilica of Magora, and St. Paul's Basilica outside the walls.

The Vatican's declaration of the jubilee has led to projections that 35 million people will visit Rome during 2025, almost three times the number of tourists the city hosted in 2023.

With such an exceptional number of visitors, the Foreign Office warns of increased risks, especially when it comes to petty crimes. Although Italy is generally considered a safe destination, the high number of tourists significantly increases the likelihood of crimes such as pickpocketing and bag snatching. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifically marks crowded areas such as the Termini station, the Colosseum, and major tourist centers as hotbeds of this type of crime.

* Mako contributed to this article.