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He is the author of Tourists: How the British Gont Abroad to Find Themselves.
No one comes to Venice for the crowds. But whether you’re going for gelato or Tintoretto, crowding through the narrow streets, queuing to take selfies in front of the lagoon, crowding into water taxis, and getting St. Petersburg’s pizza Crowds gather everywhere, with endless lines waiting for the food. Mark’s Cathedral.
Venice is currently visited by around 30 million people a year and 40,000 people a day, but it has a population of just 49,000 people. Due to the damage caused by overtourism, it almost came close to being added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. The city’s mayor has now introduced a controversial ticketing system, charging day-trippers a €5 entry fee during peak hours and seasons. With 200 stewards roaming the entry points, the cost of implementation is likely to outweigh the financial benefits, but it is an experiment in crowd control. And others are paying attention, too.
Venice’s mayor wants to encourage tourists to stay overnight, stay and actually spend their money. It is the day-trippers coming and going that strain basic infrastructure without contributing to the city’s cost of living. The idea is that crowd controls could encourage Venice residents, whose numbers have fallen by two-thirds since the 1950s, to stay put. There are more Airbnbs to ensure that Venice is more than a museum empty of life and work other than serving tourists. Home, and more strangers than neighbors.
Amsterdam is another medieval city of cobblestones and canals that welcomes up to 20 million tourists a year. A tourist tax has been collected since 2020, and the rate is 12.5% per room (10% for Airbnb), plus an additional 3 euros per night. Now Amsterdam is trying to take more control over the day by increasing the fee that day cruise passengers previously had to pay from 8 euros to 14 euros per day.
But will such a modest entrance fee really deter visitors? Implementing this kind of scheme is cumbersome. Many tourists in Venice were unaware that they had to register as guests to avoid being thwarted by wandering inspectors and facing fines of up to 300 euros. Local residents also do not wholeheartedly welcome this new policy. The already stressful task of living a normal life during high season has now become even more complicated by bureaucracy.
The challenge of balancing incoming crowds with the needs of year-round residents is similar for destinations with more modest cultural appeal. In the UK, the seaside town of Margate attracts day trippers. Tourism here, together with tourism in nearby Broadstairs and Ramsgate, contributes £212 million to the local economy. But thousands of days of tourists bring in trash, straining facilities and sanitation, and potentially hindering the long-stay vacationers who bring real economic value. Thanet District Council considered imposing a tourist tax on day trippers, but ultimately decided it did not have the necessary powers to implement the levy.
Tourism always has inherent problems with other people. That means the scenery is ruined by the crowds. Most visitors think they are discriminatory and living a culture and experience, but it’s the group next door with selfie sticks who don’t understand that.
Evelyn Waugh said of her 1930s cruise experience: “Tourists are another companion.” However, the truth is that tourists are not “others.” We are all tourists, and there are more and more of them, making the world’s special places more accessible than ever. It is a central paradox of tourism that mass visitation preserves and destroys in equal measure.
If you want to continue enjoying the wonders of the world and keep the fabric and atmosphere intact, you should expect to pay more for the privilege.
