After years of debate, Venice on Thursday will begin charging day visitors five euros to visit its fragile historic center on peak days, making it the first city in the world to adopt such a measure to counter overtourism. Critics question whether a nominal fee will put people off from visiting one of the world’s most desired destinations. But officials hope that it might encourage some to rethink their plans and decide to come on weekdays or in the off-season. About half of those visitors came only for the day, city officials said. The spirit of the initiative, city officials have said, is to make people aware of the uniqueness — and fragility — of Venice.

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Persons: Nicola Camatti Organizations: Foscari University of Venice Locations: Venice