As part of efforts to curb the number of international tourists, Lake Como in Italy is planning to impose a daily visitor fee.
The decision comes after each year, Lake Como sees a total of 1.4 million visitors, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
The recent changes join the third largest lake in Italy in the list of territories that already apply such measures, including Venice.
In this regard, the Mayor of the lakeside of Como, Alessandro Rapinese said that he is attempting to introduce a Venice-style daily charge with suggestions that it could come into force soon, as reported by Euronews.
Rapinese has criticised Lake Como’s over tourism emphasising that it is “difficult to be mayor when you are fighting tourism”.
We are already discussing the idea [of a tourist tax]. Revolutions begin with concrete measures and we are ready for this long journey.
The new decision would affect daily visitors planning to head to Como, however, further details on how much the fee will be have yet to be provided.
Recently, a larger number of people have visited Lake Como after famous folks like George Clooney bought fancy homes by the lake. Besides, movies like Casino Royale and House of Gucci were also filmed there.
I visited Lake Como last year and said I would never go back. Standards had dropped. Restaurants were disappointing in quality and price. Too many people to enjoy anything about the resort.
Venice to Implement €5 Fee for Tourists
From April 25 this year, travellers planning to visit Venice will be subject to a 5€ fee, as part of efforts to better manage the mass tourism situation and also protect the city.
Announcing the implementation of the new decision, authorities in Venice said that those who go against these rules will be subject to fines, stressing that the fines range from €50 to €300 in addition to a €10 fee.
According to the New York Times, the entry fee will be applied during a temporary pilot program, expected to begin on April 25 and continue for an additional 29 days, mostly on holidays, as weekends are expected to last until mid-July.
On certain days, all Venice visitors will be required to register their presence in the city by completing an online platform from the Venice Access Fee website. Officials in Venice said that the provided data would help them plan and also manage the number of visitors.
