2023-11-24 21:20:04
After years of debate, Venice is getting serious about charging an entry fee for day-trippers. As Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has now announced, visitors who do not spend the night in the lagoon city and therefore do not pay any tourist tax will be asked to pay five euros per person on a total of 29 days next year. There are no reductions in the standard price.
For the first time, entrance fees will be charged on all weekdays from April 25th to May 5th for visitors over 14 years of age who arrive in Venice between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. As the year progresses, the entrance fee will be charged on a total of nine weekends – Saturdays and Sundays – the last time being on July 14th. There is no entry fee on the first weekend in June; June 2nd is a national holiday in Italy. Visits to the Serenissima also remain free for day tourists during Carnival at the beginning of February and at Easter, as well as in the traditional Italian holiday month of August and then until the end of 2024.
All children under 14 years of age, residents of the entire city area – not just the historic old town – as well as native Venetians with non-resident residence, commuters and students residing in the old town and on the islands are exempt from the ticket requirement for the total of 29 days of the first test phase Lagoon.
The Rialto Bridge in Venice is a tourist magnet. : Image: AP
50,000 residents, five million tourists
Mayor Brugnaro announced the decision with the words “Venezia città aperta” (Venice, open city) – alluding to the neo-realist masterpiece “Roma città aperta” by the film director Roberto Rossellini from 1945. The mayor thereby expressed that Venice continues welcomes all visitors, although the historic old town, with barely 50,000 permanent residents, is in danger of being overwhelmed by the more than five million tourists every year. The introduction of the fee for day tourists had already been postponed several times. Critics concerned about the preservation of the old town complain that the “soft” ticket requirement will not lead to a significant reduction in the number of day visitors. Supporters of further growth in tourism, which is essential to Venice’s economy, are against any attempt to restrict access, for example by charging an entrance fee.
Regarding the determination of the test phase that has now been made, Mayor Brugnaro said: “It is not a revolution, but the first step towards a system that regulates the access of day visitors.” The aim of the test phase is “to improve the quality of life in the city for those who live and work there.”
Brugnaro admitted that certainly not all day tourists would buy the required ticket on the dates now set. “The missing rate is likely to be high, but we are ready to make all the necessary adjustments to improve the process,” assured Brugnaro. Venice is the first city in the world to introduce such a system and can “serve as a model for other vulnerable and sensitive cities that need to be protected,” said the mayor. Setting a maximum number of daily visitors is not associated with the introduction of the ticket system.
There is a risk of a fine of 50 to 300 euros
The day ticket must be booked and purchased online in advance; a QR code on your cell phone serves as proof of payment. Day visitors should be informed of the ticket requirement and checked at seven checkpoints near the old town as well as at the train station and the airport. Anyone caught without a ticket during checks in the city will face a fine of between 50 and 300 euros.
A comment from Karen Krüger Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 9 Matthias Rüb Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 2 Nana Bahlmann, Venice Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3
During the peak season, up to 100,000 tourists stay in the city every day. They will not have to pay an entrance fee in the future because they pay the tourist tax. The income, the amount of which is not yet estimated, will flow into the maintenance of the canals, roads and buildings. The “Venezia Ticket” will go on sale on the website from January 16, 2024 www.cda.ve.it to be possible. In 2025, both the number of days per year that admission is charged and the amount of the fee could change.
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