It’s been a topic of conversation in the fragile city of Venice for years: whether the hordes of day-tripping tourists who in high season overwhelm the narrow canal side alleyways of the city and clog central St. Mark’s Square are destroying it, essentially loving it to death. In the past, entrance fees were discussed as a way of limiting access but dismissed. Last fall, demonstrators among the dwindling population of city residents who haven’t decamped took to the streets to protest the large cruise ships that sail into the Giudecca Canal, perilously close to St. Mark’s Square, and then disgorge its thousands of passengers into the streets. Last year, UNESCO, after giving the city two years to solve the crisis, postponed the vote until this year but threatened that if the organization isn’t satisfied, it will place the city on its World Heritage in Danger List. So this week, elected officials finally acted.
Part of the conflict between Venice residents and the hordes of day-tripping tourists is the... [+]
Well, sort of. On Thursday, facing the onset of the city’s high tourist season, Venice’s City Council put into place a series of measures that should get the point across if not stop the overpopulation completely. People counters are now going to be stationed at the city’s most popular sites and post the number of visitors on social media, attempting to discourage more people from cramming in. They also plan to redo maps to highlight some of the less touristy areas—which remain refreshingly local and quiet even when the mobs are in the main square. More police will also be stationed to curb bad visitor behavior and there are plans to limit the number of tourist accommodations.
This last restriction mirrors the attempt by another European city, Barcelona, to tamp down its tourist arrivals. Approximately 32 million visitors came to admire the city’s gastronomy and architectural treasures last year, easily overwhelming its 1.6 million residents. When I was in the city last fall, residents were also complaining about the hordes of young European men coming to the city on weekends for raucous partying. The result of all this was a law passed in January that seeks to limit the number of accommodations for tourists and places a moratorium on new hotel construction and licenses for tourist apartments.
For visitors who do want to visit these beautiful cities, one piece of advice has never been more valid—off season is truly the best time to go.
