Court Bans Beach Entrance Fees in Wangerland, Lower Saxony
The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig has ruled that charging day visitors an entrance fee to access beaches in Wangerland, Lower Saxony, is illegal. The municipality of Wangerland had previously collected around 500,000 euros annually from these fees, which they converted to USD at an average rate of 1.18, totaling approximately 590,000 USD.
The court's decision comes after a challenge to the municipality's practice of charging adult day visitors a fee of 3 euros, later reduced to 1.30 euros, which is equivalent to approximately 1.75 USD and 0.83 USD respectively on the date of the ruling. Despite the ruling, the specific official within the authority who implemented this fee remains unnamed in available sources.
The municipality of Wangerland will now have to adjust its revenue strategies, as the court has deemed the beach entrance fees illegal. The exact impact on the municipality's budget and alternative revenue sources remain to be seen, with the date of the ruling being March 21, 2023, which coincidentally falls during Earth Day celebrations.
