Venice will charge an entrance fee for tourists and require reservations.

According to La Stampa, the historic Italian city plans to implement measures to control tourist numbers as it faces a situation of "overtourism".

According to Bloomberg, the entrance fee to Venice can range from 3-10 EUR (approximately 80,000-270,000 VND), depending on the season and time of day. The fee will not apply to residents of Venice, their relatives, or children. Visitors may also have to pay if they are staying in a hotel in the city. However, if this fee model spreads, it could show signs of a two-way economy, with only a select few able to afford it.

These policies demonstrate how the pandemic and climate crisis have forced local economies to find solutions to problems that could threaten their future. Venice has long struggled to balance its popularity as a tourist destination with the quality of life for its local residents.

Venice residents and tourists alike are now being closely monitored as they move around the city. In early 2021, the city authorities launched the "Venice Control Room," which tracks the number of visitors in the city and their itineraries. They use mobile data to check where tourists are coming from. All these measures are aimed at building more sustainable tourism in a city already overwhelmed with tourists.

Venice is now employing armed security guards to help control overcrowding on ferries into the city. Legal representatives for some of the workers on those ferries say some have been subjected to "physical assault" as tourists flock back in ever-increasing numbers.

Last month, UNESCO recommended placing Venice on the list of endangered world heritage sites, but Venice avoided this move by banning large cruise ships and announcing it would update UNESCO on measures to curb "overtourism" in 2022.

Last June, a large cruise ship passing through the city caused concern and led to protests, with celebrities signing an open letter calling on authorities to stop such ships and implement better tourism management measures.

Huyen Chau - Photo: Internet