- There are now more tourist beds in Venice than residents, with 20 million travelers visiting Venice last year, a city of roughly 50,000 residents.
- A five euro day-trip fee added last week to deal with “overtourism” did not go over well, leading to protests and serious questions about its purpose and long-term value to the city.
- Tourist fees charged from Bali to Belize have been used for key preservation efforts, but one Venice protest leader told the press, “You can’t impose an entrance fee to a city; all they’re doing is transforming it into a theme park.”
Demonstrators try to break through the blockade created by police officers to enter the city at Piazzale Roma, opposing the charge for tourists to enter the city on April 25, 2024 in Venice, Italy. Today Venice authorities launched a pilot program charging visitors a 5-euro entry fee in the hope that it will discourage at peak time, making the city more livable for its residents.
Stefano Mazzola | Getty Images News | Getty Images