In Disney’s fictional take on Venice, the world reaches a peak in overtourism

Venice is not only sinking but also shrinking. In the 1970s, there were about 175,000 residents in Centro Storico, the main island and historic center of Venice. As of last year, that number was less than 50,000. What is growing steadily is tourism, which, due to economic and quality of life pressures, is pushing people away. In fact, there are now more tourist beds in Venice than there are residents. Last year, 20 million people visited, circumnavigating its two square miles.

Last week, Venice took action against overtourism, introducing a €5 fee for day-trippers wanting to enter the city. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said at a news conference that the aim “is not to close the city but not to let it explode”.

The show, which officially launched on April 25 – a date of historical significance, as it is both Italy’s Liberation Day and the feast day of the city’s patron saint, St. of the mayor going in a direction he never intended, roughly speaking. a thousand Protesters gathered in Piazzale Roma to protest the measure, eventually clashing with police in riot gear.

Residents expressed many concerns even though the measure was partly designed to make their city more livable. They oppose the idea of ​​living in a closed city. Some people argue that ticket sales turn their city into an amusement park – Veniceland. Critics say there is also an irony in the fact that the government is simultaneously considering multiple ways to increase tourism, from considering the idea of ​​tourism. The cruise ship returns to the lagoon to relax limits on Airbnbs.

As a once-in-a-lifetime destination for many visitors from around the world, the most significant criticism may be that the cost is unlikely to deter anyone from visiting the city.

“Almost the entire city is against it,” said Matteo Secchi, leader of a group working for people’s rights. told the Guardian. “You can’t charge admission to a city; all they are doing is turning it into an amusement park. …I mean, are we kidding?”

On the first day of implementation, according to data from the mayor’s office, 113,000 people registered and of those 16,000 paid the fee – others were exempted for various reasons, including hotel stays, which were working people, students or visiting family or friends.

Despite much criticism, the day fee is an important move by the Venetian government to face the challenge of overtourism, which has become a important global issue since the pandemic. “This administration is the first in 30 years to talk about slowing tourism growth,” said Antonio Paolo Russo, who was born in Venice and is a professor of urban geography at Rovira i Virgili University. really accomplished something.” in Tarragona, Spain.

But Russo, speaking on behalf of many experts, said the measure appeared to be ineffective and was riddled with political gestures and a vague profit motive. “€5 will not make any difference with such great demand,” he said. … a city’s tourism destiny is determined by the way it is managed.”

Programme is in beta and has been in the planning stages since 2019. Covid and pandemic-related travel restrictions first paused action, then accelerated action after travel The schedule is continued. “Covid made us realize that what happened every day before Covid is no longer acceptable – mentality has changed, as have sensitivities. [towards crowds],” Simone Venturini, city tourism councilor, told CNN in 2023. “Recognizing the urgency to find a new balance between the rights of those who live, work and study in Venice and those who visit the city, we are positioning ourselves as global leader,” he said.

While initial plans include different fee structures – from higher fees, sliding scale, more per-day fees – and the ability to fundraise to help offset costs as visitor numbers increase surge, the current plan will only serve to cover the program’s administrative costs.

Venice is the first to require a ticket to enter the city – to make the city an attraction – and legal challenges could still lie ahead, in national or EU courts, under the law on the right to freedom of movement in public places. Other popular tourist destinations also have similar programs, but are limited to localities and attractions within the city, such as Barcelona’s Park Guell.

Charging tourists to visit popular destinations has been effective around the world, but only when there is a clear indication of where the money is going, such as environmental protection, and when revenue is separated separate from the government’s general ledger. Belize Sanctuary Conservation Commission was a pioneering movement 25 years ago that met these criteria, and programs of this type are on the rise. Bali recently introduced a tourism tax to protect the environment, nature and culture of the destination. Barcelona just increased tourist tax, while Amsterdam recently increased its tourist tax to highest rate in Europe. The different tax schemes is being applied to tourists is likely to continue to grow worldwide.

But Venice is Venice, and it remains unique in conversations around overtourism, in part due to its small size, its historic nature, its beauty and, in many ways, its impact. the symbolism of seeing giant cruise ships pull up to it like Godzilla. All of which makes the stakes for the new charge higher and the hopes of its success higher.

Experts say good data is essential to successfully combat overtourism. Existing programs – such as those in Balearic Islands or Amsterdam – collect data thoroughly for analysis. Russo said this makes him concerned about the Venice program, which is inconsistent with the published studies that led to its implementation. “I am not aware of any type of previous study commissioned by the city to evaluate the impact of implementing this system on visitation behavior,” Russo said. They may exist, but academics and local communities have not been informed.”

More taxes, more marketing, more tourists

“One of the biggest concerns is how the money is used and protected,” said Megan Epler Wood, executive director of Cornell’s Sustainable Tourism Asset Management Program. In Venice’s case, the fee won’t deter visitors, but she said that doesn’t mean it’s unnecessary: ​​”There really is a need for these funds,” Epler Wood said. But the majority of tourism taxes go into tourism marketing, and the more taxes that go into marketing, the more tourists come, raising more taxes to pump back into marketing, resulting in still more tourists. . “The longer it goes on, the harder it is to manage those numbers, as we saw in Venice,” Epler Wood said.

A tax won’t necessarily help if it doesn’t specifically address “invisible burden” of tourists, especially in vulnerable locations. In Venice, Epler Wood said, that can only be done by having good data on how much each visitor “costs” tourism to the places they visit, including the pressure they place on infrastructure. This is especially true in Venice, where the presence of cruise ships in recent years and rows Thousands of people flock to this small, historic city, making it a symbol of overtourism.

“Managing utilities is part of the invisible burden of tourism, because no one is responsible for it and that’s the problem with Venice’s new fees. They’re guessing. They don’t know how much money they need per tourist to combat the costs involved,” Epler Wood said.

Max Starkov, a technology and hospitality consultant, said the lack of systematically applied initiatives from the demand side will lead to overtourism during the high season months. spots in some internationally renowned cities, locations and attractions, while demand is very low for the rest. If it is desired to limit the number of visitors, it is necessary to apply typical supply/demand algorithms to peak seasons and popular destinations through a centralized booking system, much like airlines and airlines. entertainer did.

Venturini said Venice is trying to achieve something similar with its reservation system, from allowing the city to know in advance how many people to expect on particular days, to warning visitors that They chose to have exceptionally high traffic volumes. “We can say, ‘Dear guests, we advise you not to come on this day because it is Ferragosto [August public holiday] or Easter – there will be a lot of people so that will prevent you from having a peaceful visit and if you arrive a week later you can enjoy your visit more,'” he said CNN.

At this stage, access fees will only apply for a certain number of days within a certain period – 30 days in total, spread over the peak tourist season – according to city ​​website. On those days, visitors will need to purchase permission to enter the city and have access QR code to access it.

The city ​​statement was enacted in May 2023 when the city council voted to issue an order, describing the goal as “discouraging daily travel during certain periods, consistent with the sophistication and uniqueness of City.”

“Overtourism is becoming the new normal,” Starkov said. In his view, tourism has “entered human awareness of basic human needs. After you take care of your physiological needs: food, shelter, clothing, sleep sleep, etc., followed by health, family and… travel.”

Compounds in the aftermath of the pandemic through the phenomenon known as revenge tourismVenice day trip fees may become a symptom of overtourism, rather than a solution to it.

“Overtourism is not simply about having too much tourism,” said Joseph Cheer, a professor of sustainable tourism at Western Sydney University in Australia and co-chair of the organization. It is a failure of government policy and an inability to regulate and shape the way tourism is presented.” World Economic Forum Global Future Council on the Future of Sustainable Tourism.

The Venice fee comes at the end of an already troubled process, he said, rather than being imposed from the demand side to better control it. “Taxes and fees are a straightforward tool based on the premise that travelers are price sensitive,” Cheer said. This is a problem when it comes to destinations like Venice, which should be visited ‘once in a lifetime’.”