Overview
- Glenn Fogel proposed limiting visitor numbers by combining a randomized lottery with higher fees for key destinations on peak days.
- Residents of Venice, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Dubrovnik have pressed for higher levies and staged protests to push back against unsustainable tourist flows.
- Lottery systems currently cap rafting permits at the Grand Canyon and allocate access to Phantom Ranch, and are used in some cultural events in Japan and Antarctica expeditions.
- Analysts say the lottery approach could work in compact, fenced cities but would be unmanageable in sprawling metropolises like London and risks being gamed or subject to resale.
- Booking Holdings stresses that ultimate decisions on visitor caps rest with democratic governments rather than private companies.