I like flying to a foreign destination to visit the attractions during holidays, like millions of people are doing nowadays. The world has an amazing variety of must-see sights, from breathtaking natural scenery to impressive old cities, but too many of us are visiting them at the same time is putting pressure on these delicate and ancient places. Therefore, a number of beauty spots and historic sites have been introducing charges or restrictions on the tourists, which is meant to reduce overcrowding that can do harm to the surroundings of a place, protect old buildings in danger, and tidy up the mess that visitors leave behind.
The famous Italian city of Venice has, for example, introduced an entry fee of up to €10 for short-stay tourists. Citizens in Venice have long complained that the city is too crowded with tourists. Now, passengers arriving by cruise ship will have to pay a "landing tax". Mayor Luigi Brugnaro says, "It would increase much-needed income to keep the city clean."
Many cities in Europe have already charged a tax on tourists who stay in hotels and guest houses. This tax raises money to help protect the environment, pay for maintenance(维修) costs, or promote tourism. In Rome, new laws have been introduced to bring down bad tourist behaviour, such as forbidding drinking water from fountains and attaching "love padlocks" to bridges. Now the rules work well.
As more of us can now afford to travel, tourist destinations are getting busier, so maybe new laws and taxes on tourists are to be a necessary part of the sightseeing experience and benefit the beautiful attractions a lot.
