Venice, after being hit by overtourism for decades and then, the pandemic, has evolved like very few other destinations. The beautiful, historic city was almost assailed by tourists from all over the world before the pandemic hit. In fact, Venice was struggling to keep up with its everyday tourist footfall. While tourists rejoiced, the locals suffered as much from the burnt of overtourism as they did from the pandemic.
A majority of tourists, before the pandemic, would land in Venice via cruise shops, only to spend a few hours, hardly adding to the local economy and majorly devastating the fragile ecosystem that Venice exists in. Both the facets have been a topic of intense discussion for some years now. As a result, the city has learnt and is evolving fast to make it more liveable for its residents.
Now, after shutting its lagoon to big cruise ships, the city authorities are also going to track tourists’ activities via CCTV cameras. Close to 500 cameras have been installed in the city to keep a tab on tourists’ movement. These cameras would also distinguish between tourists and Italians or locals; gondola movement in Venice’s world famous . This move is a step to control overtourism.
Earlier, it was also announced that visitors will have to pay an entry fee between $3.50 and $12 as well as book their visit in advance.
