Another city follows in Venice's footsteps. It will charge fees for visits
A Swiss village intends to fight excessive tourism just like Venice. Therefore, it will introduce a fee that travelers will have to pay to enter.
The iconic Italian city of Venice has started charging tourists who visit for a day. In this way, it wants to slightly reduce the number of tourists in a place that is crowded and threatened by climate change. It seems that the Swiss village is also following in the footsteps of the popular area. A famous place in the Swiss Alps is also trying to cope with the excess of visitors.
Another place introduces fees for tourists
A Swiss village overwhelmed by tourists wants to charge visitors for entry. According to Swiss Info, the authorities of Lauterbrunnen, a place located in the mountainous region called Bernese Oberland in Switzerland, have established a group to develop new ways to curb overtourism.
The small and picturesque village of Lauterbrunnen has less than 800 inhabitants and is very popular with tourists. They come here, clog the streets, litter, and the consequence of their visits are high rents.
Therefore, one of the ideas being considered is to introduce paid admission for some visitors. The proposed fee, which can be paid via the mobile application, will range from 5 to 10 Swiss francs (from approx. PLN 21 to approx. 43) and will apply to guests arriving by car.
“The exception will be guests who have booked an overnight stay in a hotel, a trip to the village or will arrive by public transport,” said Lauterbrunnen's mayor, Karl Näpflin.
More places with tourist taxes
There are already over 60 destinations around the world that have tourist taxes. They are still controversial. The first day of operation of the entrance fee to Venice, which took place on April 25, was met with protests from some residents. They decided that their house was turning into a theme park. The famous city, which is leading the world in introducing fees for one-day trips, will continue the pilot solution until July 14.
The Lauterbrunnen Valley is home to many attractions, including the Staubbach Falls, one of the highest uninterrupted waterfalls in Europe at 270 meters high.
