One of the most popular cities in the world among tourists is still introducing an entrance fee. It is about Venice. In the city on the water, they returned to the idea of charging one-day tourists an entry tax of 5 euros for the right to visit the city. Moreover, as stated in the Italian press, this measure was announced during the UNESCO debate on the inclusion of the legendary city on the water in the black list of world heritage, which is in danger of disappearing.
“Mass tourism endangers the lives of the city and its inhabitants,” declared UNESCO, welcoming the fact that the Venetian authorities approved an entrance fee of 5 euros for those who come to visit Venice for one day. There are about 30 million such tourists in the city annually. The system will be implemented next summer – initially for a trial period lasting 30 days in a row on spring and summer weekends.
“The ticket will be available for purchase on a multilingual platform that will be available in the coming months,” the local authorities said. Only locals – residents of the municipality of Venice, as well as their families, those who come to work, and children under the age of 14 will be able to enter the city for free.
“The administration intends to discourage one-day tourism in certain periods, taking into account the delicacy and uniqueness of the city,” the media added, noting that the main purpose of the tax is to “guarantee residents a better quality of life” and improve the tourist experience. who spend at least one night in the city. “The idea we want to convey is that Venice is accessible and open, but visitors, both local and foreign, need to understand that planning is needed to better manage the balance between accommodation and tourism,” the councilor explained Michelle Zuyin
As experts add, “one-day” tourists provide the city with only a load without any benefit: they come for just one day and quickly move around the main attractions of the historic center, using public services such as transport and toilets. Moreover, as a rule, the arrival of large groups of tourists creates problems for residents.
We remind you that this issue is not being discussed for the first time. Two years ago, the authorities approved a similar measure with an entry fee of 3 to 10 euros, which was supposed to come into effect this year. But the introduction of the fee was delayed. “Implementation of this project in practice turned out to be more difficult than expected due to technical, legal, and political obstacles. There were also practical difficulties, such as the need to create a global information campaign for tourists about the new regulations, to negotiate with hotels, platforms, and transport companies, as well as to introduce payment systems, entry permits, and sanctions,” the media added.