Franceschini says No to tickets and turnstiles in Venice

(ANSA) - VENICE, AUG 31 - Culture Minister Dario Franceschini on Tuesday said No to entry tickets and turnstiles in Venice, two mooted ways of curbing tourist overcrowding in the lagoon city.
    "We must fight the excessive overcrowding of art cities, but without any entry levy," he said at the presentation of the new rooms at Venice's iconic Accademia Galleries.
    "We must exploit less invasive technologies to control the flows, which are there, but if I think of turnstiles an airport comes to mind, not a city.
    "For the rest, everything is in the hands of the mayors, and we are here to give a hand".
    Venice officials have proposed levying a daily fee to visit the city, as well as putting up turnstiles to regulate tourist flows, amid chronic overcrowding which has been only slightly mitigated by the COVID emergency.
    Replying to journalists' questions, Franceschini added: "Venice not only has a vocation to host tourists, but must also think of the valorisation of its historical and cultural heritage, which is unique in the world, investing in the present and the future.
    "For the rest, we can't think that Europe can solve all the problems". (ANSA).