** The truce at the turnstile on the Seceda mountain path in Alto Adige (South Tyrol) is over. The turnstile, installed on land owned by local farmers overwhelmed by thousands of photo-seeking tourists arriving via cable car, is once again operational. After a brief protest closure in early July that gained international attention, the landowners have reinstated a 5-euro access fee for the famed ‘Selfie Trail’. Locals and children remain exempt, according to the Alto Adige newspaper.
Landowner Georg Rabanser, one of four farmers affected, slammed provincial administrators for inaction: “Ours was a cry for help. We expected a call from the provincial administration. Instead, nothing. We only read statements in the papers. Talk; nothing concrete. We haven’t even received cease-and-desist letters. So we are proceeding. The Province needs to understand that while the cable car operators make a fortune from the tourist invasion, we only bear the costs and damage – from litter left behind to meadows ruined by hordes of ill-mannered tourists.”
The local tourism board (Apt Val Gardena) countered that it has hired four rangers patrolling the trails to ensure tourists stay on paths, avoid damaging meadows, and refrain from flying drones. “Things have improved considerably. The abandoned waste problem is also not as severe as portrayed; it has significantly reduced,” stated Lukas Demetz, President of the Santa Cristina Apt. Demetz expressed disappointment at the turnstile’s reactivation: “It’s unclear on what legal basis they can collect this toll. The truth is the owners just want to cash in. They installed the turnstile after the cable car operators rejected their compensation request. We [the Apt] gave the same answer. If we had to pay these four landowners of Seceda, we’d have to pay all the others too. It’s unthinkable.”
Carlo Alberto Zanella, President of the Alto Adige Alpine Club (Cai), delivered a blunt rebuttal on Facebook: “I officially communicate that the turnstile on Seceda is functioning and charging. Therefore, the story about this being a provocation is an absolute lie.”