Years ago, I saw Venice in the still days of January, on a lamentably short stopover returning from the Vicenza gold fair. I had whole rooms of St. Mark’s Basilica to contemplate — again, completely alone — for a good 20 minutes at a time. Venice city officials have taken strict countermeasures against the overcrowding: restricting cruise ships and visitor numbers in recent years to prevent strain on infrastructure. BLOOMBERG NEWSThe idea of “collecting” experiences at major tourist attractions is far from a recent phenomenon. New Zealand’s new International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, set to start this year, will help address the effects of overtourism (and overzealous hobbit seekers, no doubt).

Source: Forbes May 27, 2019 03:36 UTC