10-05-2025
Inside Italy: Could Venice-style entry fee schemes solve Italy's overtourism woes?
Inside Italy is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip from Italy that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
The picturesque town of Sirmione, on the banks of Italy's Lake Garda, has made national headlines in recent days after it was overwhelmed by tens of thousands of visitors last weekend.
Known for its thermal springs and picture-perfect old town, the northern Italy destination was visited by around 75,000 people over the weekend – more than nine times its number of residents (8,000).
Videos widely shared on social media showed large groups of tourists cramming Sirmione's streets, as well as the narrow path leading to its famous 13th-century fortress.
Some video clips also showed cars and local buses as they became entangled amidst gridlocked crowds.
After last weekend's events, Sirmione's Safety Councillor Massimo Padovan said that authorities are considering 'an entry fee for day-trippers' along the lines of Venice's contested ticketing system.
'The idea would be to exclude residents, workers, second-home owners, and 'overnight' tourists [from the entry fee]' Padovan said, adding that the scheme would rely on a 'simple, digital' payment platform.
Sirmione is not the first Italian tourist destination to consider introducing a Venice-style entry fee system to manage tourist flows and reduce crowds.
Naples, which was visited by nearly 15 million people in 2024, is also mulling over the idea of charging day-trippers a fee to access the city amid growing complaints from locals about overcrowding.
In December last year, councillor Gennaro Esposito, from Italy's centrist party Azione, proposed the rollout of a €5 entry fee to access Naples' historic centre 'during periods of high tourist influx, such as Christmas."
The proposal is currently being examined by Naples' city hall.
Meanwhile, Auronzo di Cadore, in the northern Veneto region, is drafting plans to set up an online 'booking system' to access the Tre Cime di Lavaredo – one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alps – as the destination continues to see up to 8,000 visitors a day.
'Regulating access is the only solution," Renato Frigo, president of the Veneto branch of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), said.
'We need to relieve the entire road system around Lake Misurina, which becomes unlivable in the summer, as well as during the holidays when tourist access reaches its peak,' he added.
As multiple tourist destinations around the country eye up the possibility of charging tourists for access, public opinion seems to be split on the issue.
While many residents and local officials in tourist hotspots advocate for entry fees as a means to alleviate the pressure of overtourism, critics argue that such measures would do little to reduce visitor numbers and risk transforming historic cities and towns into "theme parks".
Several hospitality industry operators and tourist associations have also raised concerns that ticketing systems may be used by cash-strapped town halls as an underhand way to boost revenue.
Though there's no clear evidence yet that entry fees can significantly reduce tourist numbers (and there surely isn't any in Venice), I am not entirely against the idea of charging a small sum to access popular destinations.
Dozens of cities and towns around Italy have suffered under the pressure of overtourism in recent months, with local infrastructure often failing to cope with tens of thousands of visitors.
As local authorities look for ways to make tourism more sustainable, ticketing systems may yet prove useful in managing visitor flows if paired with other measures including improved transport and mobility infrastructure, and the promotion of lesser-known areas and alternative itineraries.
I do, however, have major doubts over the practical enforcement of the proposed entry fee schemes.
How exactly would these systems work in locations with dozens of entry points? Would authorities install turnstiles at each entry? And how many local officers would it take for these measures to run smoothly?
I also have concerns over what exactly the money raised through these entry fee schemes would be spent on – something that no local authority has taken the care to explain so far.
Would it be reinvested in works to improve tourist services, public transport and cultural offerings? Or would it be just a way to replenish city coffers?
In other words, dove andranno a finire i soldi? (where will the money go?)
Inside Italy is our weekly look at some of the news and talking points in Italy that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
