Italy: Venice will introduce a fee for day tourists to enter the city’s overcrowded historic centre from next April.
Through the scheme, Venice authorities aim to reduce crowds, encourage longer visits, and improve the quality of life for residents.
The system is designed to control the flow of tourists at periods when visitor numbers are at their highest, local authorities stated.
Under the scheme, day visitors will pay $5.45 to enter the city centre between 8:30 am and 4 pm during the peak tourist season from April 25 to May 5.
The city Mayor, Mr. Luigi Brugnaro, commented that, “It is the first time in the world that you do something like this, you make a city bookable.”
The fee will also apply for the rest of the weekends in May and June, as well as the first two weekends of July. The rollout of the scheme finally came after Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage site, escaped being placed on the UN agency’s danger list earlier this year because of the threat that overtourism was having on its fragile ecosystem.
Those who live in Venice or were born there, as well as students, workers, and homeowners, will be exempt from the scheme, while access for children under the age of 14 will be free once they have registered. Fines ranging from $54 to $340 will be imposed on those who violate the measures.
Mr. Brugnaro called the system a “first step” rather than a “revolution” and noted that authorities stand ready to make changes to ensure it works.
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