An editorialist for the prestigious Financial Times daily has likened the city of Venice to Disneyland and suggested that it also charge an entrance fee the way the American theme park does.
"In a certain sense, Venice is like Disneyland because, first of all, it's a tourist city. And since it costs 50 euros to get into Disneyland, I see no reason why Venice can't charge an entrance fee, too," said economist John Kay.
Speaking on the sidelines of a conference on 'Venice, Reality and Visions for the Future', Kay added: "charging admission could create a significant fund to help finance important projects".
"There is no doubt that increasing numbers of tourists create management problems which could cause the city to be unable to offer adequate services, not only for tourists but for residents as well," the editorialist said.
According to Kay, Venice's biggest problem "has to do with politics and the way the city is administered".
