World famous tourist attraction set to become a 'real faff' from tomorrow
Travel expert Simon Calder has warned of huge changes that have come into force at the attraction.
A travel expert has warned of huge changes coming in force at a world famous tourist site from tomorrow. Many cities have been facing overtourism in recent years, with officials attempting to clamp down on huge crowds and inappropriate behaviour.
Rome has now become the latest city to take a stand. Tourists wanting to see the iconic Trevi Fountain will now have to pay €2 (£1.75) entrance fee. The new barrier for visitors has come into force on February 2.
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Coins tossed into the fountain will be donated to charity, but the fee to see the Baroque monument will go to the city authority. They say it will pay for the upkeep of the fountain as well as managing visitors.
Rome expects to raise €6.5million a year from the fountain alone. And, its not just the Trevi Fountain that tourists will now have to pay for as fees have been introduced at five other attractions including the Napoleonic Museum.
The Trevi Fountain sees an average of 30,000 visitors per day. Travel expert Simon Calder shared his thoughts on the new fee system as he revealed it took him 15 minutes to book a ticket.
He admitted: "It’s a real faff, but they say it is necessary at the Trevi Fountain, and five other locations around Rome, in order to keep tourism manageable."
Sharing why the fee has come into force, Simon said on BBC Breakfast: "The idea is that tourism is so intense in some key locations, that you have got to do something to control it."
Revealing the impact of the fee, Simon explained: "I don’t think it will put people off, it will hopefully make the experience a bit more manageable. There has been cases of people climbing into the fountain, they have police there prepared to haul them out and fine them heavily.
"I think Romans are in two separate camps here. There’s the people that say it is a public space, you can’t possibly start regulating entry, it is anti-democratic and anti-freedom. Then there’s others that say, frankly, when you're into the summer in Rome things become a bit unmanageable and anything we can do to try to bring some decorum has to be a good thing."
To enter the basin of the Trevi Fountain from February, 2 tourists and non-residents must pay the two euro ticket, which is valid every day from 9am to 10pm. Access is free for residents, children up to five and people with disabilities. The Trevi Fountain will still be able to be viewed for free from a distance.
