[kmano8]

Was in Venice summer 2017, and having never been prior, my wife and I were surprised at how empty it was after 5pm. How could this be? It was wall-to-wall people all day -- many in tours that would sometimes just stop in the middle of a narrow corridor. We realized what this and all the other articles about Venice tourism describe -- that most tourists only come for the day.

The evenings and nights there were the best part of the day -- not only because the temp dropped, and the light was beautiful -- but because it became an entire different city without the droves of people. It became trivial to sit down at random restaurants and find quiet.

It's a good start they're going to start charging for entry to the island for the sake of the residents and preserving the city. Though not sure they need all this infra for tracking within the island itself to accomplish their goals.

[npx13]

Thats the effect of the enormous cruise ships depositing thousands of tourists in the morning and picking them up again later that day.

[ericbarrett]

I vacationed in Barbados, and when then cruise ships would pull into Bridgetown it was remarkable. They towered over the town like a skyscraper over a suburban apartment. The area around the docks, full of hawkers and stalls selling terrible cheap food, pulsed with tourists like a vein throbbing in a forehead. A few hours later they would be gone and the ship would depart, leaving eerie silence behind. We quickly learned to stay well away if anything was docked.

[chandra381]

I had the privilege of visiting Venice over Christmas and New Years of 2019 and just wandering around an almost deserted island. It was otherworldly.

[scotty79]

Out of seasons was even better. I've been literaly alone (just with my life partner) on Ponte Vecchio in Florence in the early morning out of season.

[u678u]

If you read the article it says most of the overcrowding is caused by day trippers, esp those on beach holidays when it isn't good beach weather.