Imagine for a moment that you live in Fujikawaguchiko, Japan.
Every morning, you stroll into the local outlet of Lawsonarguably the most beloved convenience store in the nationto grab a coffee before heading off to work.?
As you leave each day, you stop and admire a magnificent view of Mount Fuji peaking over the store.?
You may not be able to see it on cloudy days, but on a clear morning, you savor this view before walking to work with a pep in your step.?
Not anymore, because the local government has decided to (checks notes) build a massive barrier across the street from Lawson specifically to block the view of the mountain.?
Why? Too many tourists were showing up to snap photos of this picturesque juxtaposition of ancient and modern Japan. The crowds were said to be leaving too much trash, blocking traffic, and generally causing a headache for locals.?
Now, imagine you live in Venice. You are one of the around fifty-something-thousand calling the historic old section of the lagoon city homeand are loving every minute of it. The crowds may occasionally grate on you, but you still find enough peace in your little corner of town to be happy.?
As a big family birthday is approaching, you invite over some of your relatives who live a couple of hours away for a party.?
You mark it down on your calendar, overlooking the fact your bash coincides with one of the 29 days on the calendar this summer when Venice's new "entry fee" will be in force.?
On the day of the party, as your family is walking toward your place, they are approached and asked to prove that they have paid their entry fee.?
After your family says "no," the officials explain that since they are guests of a resident, they are exempt from the fee. However, they still need to download proof of their exemption and keep it with them at all times. After some instruction and tech glitches, your family downloads their exemptions and makes their way to your place.?
While not a big deal in the end, the interaction has left them flustered and feeling a bit, well, unwelcomed.?
Entry fees. View-blocking barriers.?
There has to be a better way to tackle overtourism.?
The Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/gurgenb)
Like, you are seriously telling me that the country that brought the world the bullet train thinks the best way to deal with a few hundred Instagrammers a day is to slap up a view blocker?
And when it comes to Venice, I can only imagine how many European lawyers are lining up to put the legality of its new policy to the test. Because what Venice has done there, albeit with good intentions, is charge Italians (!) a fee to enjoy their own country on certain days.?
Can you imagine strolling into Times Square and being asked to provide a QR code to prove that you're allowed to be there?
Last time I checked, Italy is also a free country, and there are most definitely laws in the EU about freedom of movement for its citizens. So, I'm betting a spritz that this Venice entrance fee won't last too long.?
I'm not against mitigating the effects of overtourism. Far from it, we have to.?
But these things aren't the answer, especially when they punish the locals almost as much as the tourist throngs.?
What is the solution??
For starters, how about more security guards, an official pay-per-use "selfie spot" and hefty on-the-spot fines for misbehaving at the Lawson in Fujikawaguchiko? Surely, all the additional sales the shop is getting from the social media snappers would cover the cost? Afterall, we're not talking about rowdy ruffians here, we're talking Tik Tokers.?
And in Venice, maybe a fun marketing campaign around how the magic of the city is found by staying overnight would help dissuade day-trippers more than any $5 fee.?
Overtourism isn't going away, so we're going to have to put our heads together and come up with something better than these two questionable schemes.
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