Venice update

There is likely to be a fee to visit Venice from 2024 onwards although a $5 cost is minimal for such a beautiful place and it will bring some financial support to help the city to stay afloat, literally.

Venice is, as most people know, facing being damaged, because of the rising waters, although ironically the canals ran dry in February because of the severe weather conditions. There is also the problem of overcrowding, as anyone who has visited St Mark’s Square will be only too aware of. Although a modest visitor’s fee may reduce the numbers and a much higher fee might actually make a difference.

Sometimes you can appreciate the beauty of a site without risking harming it. Climbing the Pyramids in Egypt has been discouraged and then banned for a long time and in Australia climbing Uluru has been banned for cultural reasons, as well as being dangerous to climb.

Which is more important, the cultural site or taking an Instagram photo of it that might cause damage to the site?

Dennis Fitzgerald,

Melbourne, Australia