Venice is bringing back the entry fee: which tourists will pay twice as much
Kyiv • UNN
From April 19, Venice is again charging an entry fee for tourists. Those who book tickets less than three days in advance will pay twice as much. The fee will be in effect for 54 days.
From April 19, Venice will again charge a fee for entry to the city for day tourists. There will also be an innovation: visitors who book tickets less than three days before arrival will pay twice as much.
This is reported by The Guardian, writes UNN.
Details
According to the media, last year, as part of an experiment to deter day visitors during peak hours, Venice became the first major tourist city in the world to charge an entrance fee.
Although the initiative did not have a significant impact on the number of visitors, it brought the city treasury 2.4 million euros, which is much more than expected. But the Venice authorities still believe that it will ultimately help the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, cope with the problem of overtourism.
This year, the fee, which can be booked online, remains at €5, but will double if you buy it three days before arriving in the city. In addition, it has been expanded and will now be applied on 54 dates, mostly weekends. Namely, from April 18 to July 27, which is almost twice as much as last year. The event is valid from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm local time.
Visitors are given a QR code, which they will need to present to stewards hired to patrol the main entrances to the city, such as the Venice Santa Lucia train station.
All those who book accommodation in Venice, as well as tourists from the larger Veneto region, where most day tourists come from, and children under 14, are exempt from the fee. But even if a guest has booked a hotel room, he or she is still required to register his or her presence on the website.
Last year, a new record was set for the number of visitors to Venice and its surroundings: more than 3.9 million people stayed overnight in the historic city center.
However, about 30 million people come here every year, most of whom come for only one day.
According to the local news site Venezia Today, more than 35,000 tourists have already booked tickets for day trips. Venice Tourism Councilor Simone Venturini said that while there is no "magic wand" to solve the problem affecting many European tourist cities, the access fee scheme "is a tangible and innovative tool" in terms of data analysis and visitor flow management.
It will be a long road, but from now on, the city will be able to rely on objective data, not just simple estimates, to understand the phenomenon of overtourism. Our goal is to encourage quality overnight tourism that respects the city and seeks to engage with it on a deeper level, embracing its unique character and rhythm.
Another goal was to achieve a better balance between the rights of those who live in Venice and those who want to visit it, added Simone Venturini.
Let us remind you
Tourism in Europe is leading to a housing shortage, displacing locals. In Italy, Portugal and Spain, city residents are protesting and demanding that platforms for renting out properties like Airbnb be banned.
