00:00If you are among the tourists who make a wish and toss a coin into the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome, that wish will no longer be free.
00:10Getting close to the iconic fountain now requires a ticket costing around $2 for non-residents of Rome, but only during peak hours.
00:20Many may argue that the fee is symbolic and not excessive, yet authorities hope it will help regulate crowds, even slightly,
00:28especially after unprecedented tourism pressure.
00:32More than 10 million visitors line up every year to take photos and throw coins into the fountain,
00:38and on some days the number reaches as many as 70,000 people daily in a small square that can barely accommodate everyone.
00:48More broadly, this trend is becoming increasingly common across Europe's most popular tourist cities,
00:54driven by massive annual visitor numbers.
00:57For example, Venice has introduced fees for day-trippers, Amsterdam has raised hotel taxes,
01:04and in Greece, a so-called climate tax of up to 10 euros per night is imposed on luxury hotels.
01:10Meanwhile, other cities are considering similar charges for tourists visiting their landmarks.
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