A beautiful town known as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ has introduced new charges to combat the crowds of tourists that flock there regularly.
Bourton-on-the-Water, often dubbed the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ for the river that flows through its centre, has introduced new parking charges for tourists.
Parking will now be free before 10am at Rissington Road car park.
But charges will then apply until 8pm, replacing the previous 8am-6pm schedule, Metro reported.
The aim is to allow residents access to parking spaces in the morning – and then charge visitors coming for the day later on.
Bourton-on-the-Water has just 4,000 local residents – which is far outweighed by the number of tourists who visit the town each year, estimated to be around 300,000.
As such, new measures aim to make parking more challenging for day visitors, hoping to combat the mass overtourism affecting the region.
A parking levy has existed in Bourton-on-the-Water since 2021, with some of the fees earned going towards projects in the local area.
The council said the aim of the new hours was to make parking more sustainable, support local businesses and help meet its net-zero commitments, according to the BBC.
Paul Hodgkinson, cabinet member for health, culture and visitor experience, said: ‘I know first-hand the challenges the village faces during the tourist season.
‘This new approach is designed to give something back to residents and boost the money going back into the village.’
Located on the River Windrush, Bourton-on-the-Water is known for its bridges and traditional stone houses.
It is also home to the Cotswold Motoring Museum and Birdland, which houses species including parrots, owls and king penguins.
A big attraction is the Model Village, a 1930s scale replica of the village.
Bourton-on-the-Water has been hit by massive waves of tourists in recent months.
Earlier this year, it was reported the influx of visitors is driven by social media influencers promoting the village as a perfect day trip destination away from big cities such as London.
Crowds can fill up the banks of the River Windrush, with many tourists enjoying the picnic spot.
However, it can become overcrowded and unpleasant as a result.
Indeed, in September the quaint village was hit by a surge of so-called ‘TikTok tourists’ – and saw mounds of rubbish left behind and locals being abused.
With the increase in ‘hit-and-run tourists’, so named by Cotswold district councillor Jon Wareing, there has also been a wave of litter and even poor behaviour reportedly directed towards residents.
Plus, an increase in the number of visitors has brought further traffic into the area.
