There are examples of how this can work in the UK, with picture-book villages like Clovelly in North Devon and Portmeirion in North Wales charging entry, as well as worldwide models at Unesco World Heritage sites like Machu Picchu. But should this come to fruition, it will need to be carefully managed.
The bigger question is one of sustainable tourism, perhaps. Hallstatt locals don’t mind people visiting, but they aren’t fond of the kind that take a quick snap and rush off, without appreciating the place and understanding its heritage.
Birthplace of the Hallstatt Culture that flourished in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age, Hallstatt is more than a pretty face, after all. A funicular glides up into the mountains and Salzwelten, with a 7,000-year history that makes it the world’s oldest salt mine. Many day-trippers, too busy vying for photo ops by the lake, never make it that far.
But rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, Hallstatt might be wise to consider a selective ticketing approach, charging day-trippers an entry fee, say, but not those staying overnight (or ideally, several nights), thereby encouraging a sustainable tourism model. One thing is for sure, if this fairytale village is to have a happy ending, it’s time that tourists wised up to the fact that Hallstatt isn’t a Disney fantasy, it’s real. And that has to be respected.
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Source link : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/austria/hallstatt-austrian-village-disney-frozen-overtourism/
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Publish date : 2023-09-13 03:00:00
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