Varenna on Lake Como: Day tourists will soon have to pay an entrance fee!

Varenna on Lake Como: Day tourists will soon have to pay an entrance fee!

The charming municipality of Varenna on Lake Como is facing a bold decision: Mayor Mauro Manzoni is planning to introduce a landing fee of 5 euros for day tourists. This emerges from an application he submitted to the Italian Ministry of Economy. The measure aims to regulate ongoing mass tourism and distribute the associated costs for infrastructure and waste disposal more fairly. On peak days, hundreds of visitors already crowd through the narrow streets of Varenna, which not only affects the quality of life of the approximately 700 residents, but also leads to overcrowded beaches and traffic jams. Many of the day guests bring their own food and contribute so little to the local gastronomy, which makes the situation even worse Watson reported.

Varenna's infrastructure is often not designed for the large-scale influx of tourists. This leads to frustration among locals, especially as rents rise due to high demand. Neighboring towns such as Bellagio, Menaggio and Tremezzina, which are also suffering from the onslaught, are therefore supporting the initiative. The suggestions for how the fee could be specifically implemented range from charging it when entering the old town to including restaurants and retail. However, nothing is clear yet, especially since the legal basis for such fees in Italy has so far only been provided for islands Mercury explained.

Challenges in mass tourism

A look at the challenges of mass tourism shows that Varenna is not alone with its problems. The increasing influx of day tourists is causing explosive conditions in many popular travel destinations. How t online According to reports, residents in cities like Venice are upset about the situation, which has already charged an entry fee for day visitors on 29 days in 2023. Seville and numerous Greek islands are also planning similar measures to control the flows and improve the quality of life of local residents.

The idea of ​​introducing entry fees for day visitors is seen by experts as justified because overnight guests usually pay taxes, while day visitors often pay no contributions at all. This could ease pressure on popular travel destinations. At the same time, it remains to be seen how the additional revenue will be used to not only improve local services, but also to take residents' concerns seriously. A fair distribution of these revenues to the local population could make the difference while also opening up new opportunities for sustainable development in the region.