Venice as a model: Sirmione on Lake Garda plans entrance fee for day tourists
Following the example of Venice, the municipality of Sirmione on Lake Garda is discussing a daily tourist tax. The reasons are overcrowded alleys, blocked roads, and growing tensions with locals. A ticket system is intended to provide relief.
Over the long May weekend, the only access road to Sirmione's old town and large parts of the center were congested. Crowds blocked the alleys so heavily that even emergency services would have had difficulty getting through in an emergency, reports "OE24."
Now even the local hoteliers' association is sounding the alarm. Its chairman, Marco Merlo, told "OE24": "I have requested a meeting with the city administration to discuss measures against mass tourism." The goal is to introduce an entry ticket for day visitors. He didn't provide specific details on the price, but the system is expected to work similarly to the one in Venice.
A digital ticketing system would allow for better control and management of visitor numbers, Merlo said. At the same time, parking spaces could be reserved and paid for in advance, making it easier to manage both traffic flows and visitor numbers.
The measure has the support of the city administration. Massimo Padovan, the town's security officer, said: "Sirmione is a pearl that we want to keep open to tourists, but with balance and respect for the residents." A mandatory reservation system for the town center is necessary to save the town from tourist collapse.
Padovan makes it clear that the goal is not to eliminate tourism, but to manage it sustainably. Visitors are still welcome, but under conditions that also take into account the daily lives of the residents.
The discussion in Sirmione follows a growing trend in Europe: More and more tourist-heavy cities are considering measures to limit visitor numbers. Venice led the way in 2024, and cities such as Dubrovnik, Barcelona, and Amsterdam are also considering similar models or have already introduced measures such as visitor caps, time-limited access options, or digital access control.
The introduction of such a system would be a first on Lake Garda – and a possible precedent for other places in the region that also suffer from the consequences of mass tourism.
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