Visitors to Venice have been warned to prepare for a daily fee for a stopover at the floating city’s rush hour, which will be implemented next year.
The move, which will cost tourists £4. 35 (€5) during busy weekends, is part of a campaign to reduce crowds, inspire longer visits and improve the quality of life for Venetians themselves.
The release of the tourism “contribution” program comes after Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, narrowly escaped being placed on the U. N. agency’s danger list earlier this year due to the risk that overtourism poses to its ecosystem.
Member states cited the proposed new access fee as the basis for deciding to remove Venice from the list.
Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro insisted that the tax is not a new tourist tax or an attempt to generate more revenue.
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Instead, he said, this is an experiment, the first of its kind, aimed at regulating tourist flows in one of the most visited places in the world, encouraging visitors to avoid peak traffic periods and come on other days.
He said this at a press conference where he presented the plan.
He said, “Our goal is to make the city more livable. “
In total, 29 days from April to mid-July, with the maximum on weekends, will be subject to the tax between 8:30 a. m. and 4:00 p. m. ; visitors coming to Venice for dinner or a concert will not have to pay anything.
After COVID-19 lockdowns devastated Venice’s tourism industry, the city of narrow alleys, canals, and islands attempted to reconsider its relationships with visitors in a more sustainable way while also trapping its citizens to stay put.
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Venice was forced to act as a reaction to the steady exodus of Venetians to the mainland and pressure from UNESCO and environmentalists, who also effectively lobbied for the government to ban giant cruise ships from St. Mark’s Square and the Giudecca Canal.
Venice sees long-term tourists as the key to its survival, as they tend to spend more.
Brugnaro said the new support for hikers does not discourage tourism as a whole, but only seeks to better manage it.
He said the guest program will most likely include disruptions and need to be modified, but said after years of study and discussion, it’s time to implement it.
Many exemptions apply, including those for citizens and visitors, academics and those born in Venice, as well as tourists who have booked a hotel or other accommodation.
From January 16, a website, Contributo di Accesso, will be created, where you can “book” your day in Venice.
Hikers will pay the payment and get a QR code that will then be verified at spot checks at seven access points throughout the city, in addition to the main exercise station.
Visitors who have booked a hotel enter their hotel details and also get a QR code to view, without having to pay, as their hotel bill will already include the charge for accommodation in Venice.
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