伊ベネチア、来年から試験的に入場料徴収へ　オーバーツーリズム対策

【ローマＡＦＰ＝時事】イタリア・ベネチア市議会は１２日、「オーバーツーリズム」問題が指摘される同市の歴史地区を訪れる日帰り客を対象に来春から５ユーロ（約７９０円）の入場料を試験的に徴収する計画を賛成多数で承認した。国連教育科学文化機関（ユネスコ）は７月、世界遺産に登録されているベネチアを危機遺産に加えるよう勧告していた。（写真は伊ベネチア市内を訪れている観光客）
　承認を受け、ルイジ・ブルニャーロ市長は「第一歩だ」と評価した。採決に先立ち、議場で数十人と怒鳴り合いとなり、ブルニャーロ氏が反対派を「暴力的なファシスト」と非難する一幕もあった。
　反対派は、入場料の徴収はユネスコに譲歩した短絡的な措置で、観光客を減らす効果があるのか調査もしていないと非難。
　一部の議員は「５０ユーロ（約７９００円）ならまだしも」「（５ユーロでは）観光客がベネチアを訪れる意欲をそぐことはできない」と指摘している。
　公式の統計によると、昨年ベネチアの歴史地区を訪れた観光客は宿泊客だけで約３２０万人。
　入場料の徴収は、１泊以上の宿泊客と１４歳以下の子どもは免除される。来年の試験期間は最大３０日で、特に混雑する週末を挟んだ連休や祝日などに導入される。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/09/13-17:13）

Venice officials agreed Tuesday to test a fee on day tourists to the overcrowded historic centre, weeks after UNESCO warned it could list the city as an at-risk world heritage site.
The Venice city council voted in favour of a limited test, to begin next spring, of a long-debated ticketing system that critics say will nevertheless do little to stem the hordes of tourists who descend each year.
Day visitors will face a five euro ($5.40) charge for entry into the historic centre.
Authorities have debated for years -- without taking concrete action -- over how best to regulate the millions of visitors to the famous watery city, who come anxious to see sights including St Mark's Square, the Rialto Bridge and its countless picturesque canals.
But the ticketing plan has been repeatedly postponed over concerns it will seriously dent tourist revenue and compromise freedom of movement.
UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, warned in July that Venice risked irreversible damage due to a string of issues ranging from mass tourism to climate change, and recommended it be put on its endangered list.
It's a first step, said Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who engaged in a shouting match with a crowd of a few dozen people in the council chambers ahead of the vote, calling them violent and fascist.
His administration -- which he said had shown courage and practicality -- agreed last week to what he described as an experiment.
But the opposition cast the tax as a hastily arranged concession to UNESCO, while accusing the administration of failing to conduct studies over whether the fee would even work to keep tourists away.
This won't disincentivize people in the slightest from coming to Venice, said council member Alessandro Baglioni.
Fifty euros might have done something, said another council member, Gianfranco Bettin.
- Mass tourism -
Last year, some 3.2 million tourists stayed overnight in Venice's historic centre, according to official data -- a number that does not include the thousands of daily visitors who visit just for the day.
The five-euro tax will exempt those tourists who stay at least one night in a hotel, as well as children 14 years old and younger.
The test will be spread out over up to 30 days during 2024, on particularly crowded days such as long weekends and public holidays.
Two years ago, Venice imposed a ban on massive cruise ships from which thousands of day-trippers emerge daily, rerouting them to a more distant industrial port.
The aim -- which helped the city avoid being placed on UNESCO's at-risk list -- was to reduce damage from the large waves caused by the ships that are eroding Venice's foundations and harming the lagoon's fragile ecosystem.
UNESCO put Venice on its heritage list in 1987 as an extraordinary architectural masterpiece, but has repeatedly warned that the city needs to better manage tourism.
The recommendation that the city be added to its list of world heritage in danger will be discussed at a meeting of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Riyadh this month.