See Rome’s Blundering Battle Against Overtourism: Nonresidents of the Eternal City must now pay a fee to visit the Trevi Fountain—the latest in a series of measures that prove a greater nuisance than the crowds themselves by James Gardner in The WSJ.
A good is scarce when there is not enough to go around when it is given away for free. It seems that so many people were visiting sites in Rome that it started to become much less enjoyable. Now you might have to pay to get into certain places that previously had no charge.
Excerpts from the article:
"The fountain is one of the most popular attractions in the capital, but unlike St. Peter’s Basilica or the Spanish Steps it sits in and occupies most of a relatively small space. As of six months ago, the city government has imposed new measures to limit the flow of visitors to the site. The goal is twofold: to mitigate the crush of tourists, which it fails to do, and to make money while they’re at it. First they have placed police barricades around the entire perimeter. Second, as of this week, non-Romans have to pay two Euros to descend to the actual water. Locals can still visit for free but must wait in a slow-moving line to reach the water. Once there they find that the police, with whistles blaring, offer them every encouragement to be on their way."
"Until a few years ago, you could show up and enter the Pantheon unimpeded any time you wished. Now you have to pay for your time slot—even though it is a functioning house of worship. As a result, enormous lines of visitors, waiting to enter, constantly occupy the Piazza della Rotonda, the square in front of the Pantheon. In the past, visitors could pleasantly sit under the great portico. When that became impossible—the portico is now roped off—they moved to the steps surrounding the nearby fountain. But now the municipal police, with whistles blaring, chase them away from there as well."
One other thing was interesting about all this. The article said of Trevi before the new rules:
"those crowds never resulted in damage to the site, and there was a certain shambolic glory to the whole thing, which was free both in monetary terms and in the anarchic liberty of the experience. And the crowds naturally regulated themselves."
I wish the article had said more about how "the crowds naturally regulated themselves." But this reminded me of a chapter from the book I used as a supplemental text The Economics of Public Issues. It had a chapter called "The Economics of Exclusion."
It is about how private groups devise ingenious systems to conserve natural resources (maybe in the case of the fountain the resource is a pleasant experience). They are systems that do no not require any help from the government.
One example was surfing. Too many people might come to a beach to surf. But then no one can enjoy it. So local "surf gangs" came into existence to create and enforce rules. This regulated who could ride the best waves and where. It reduced collisions and enhanced the experience. Enforcement included verbal assaults and physical hostility.
Florida counties give away vaccine for free and there are long lines (2020)
There's no such thing as free cheesecake (2019)
Domino's & T-Mobile discover there is no such thing as free pizza. Too many took advantage of offer. They ran out. (2016)
What happens if you give electricity away for free? (Tesla post) (2015)
Taco Bell Gives Away "Free" Tacos, Problems Arise. (2007)
More Free Give Aways Lead to Trouble. (A shopping mall in California gave away free gift certificates) (2006)
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