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When (not) in Rome: Venice to make tourists pay entry fee to keep 'overtourism' under check

The city of Venice has announced it will charge incoming tourists an entry fee starting next year—and it’s not to recover the potential cost of littering from pesky visitors at the UNESCO World Heritage site. A radical new scheme coming into effect January 16, 2023, will require tourists in Venice to pay anywhere between €3 (Rs 247) and €10 (Rs 823).

TN Viral Desk

Updated Jul 4, 2022, 17:36 IST

An aerial view of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy | Picture credit: Twitter

Photo : Twitter

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Italy's Venice will charge visitors an entry fee from next year.
Ticket prices would depend on tourist inflow and demand for entry.
Visitors caught without a ticket will face steep fines.

Italy: The city of Venice has announced it will charge incoming tourists an entry fee starting next year—and it’s not to recover the potential cost of littering from pesky visitors at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

A radical new scheme coming into effect January 16, 2023, will require tourists in Venice to pay anywhere between €3 (Rs 247) and €10 (Rs 823).

The ticket rates will be determined by tourist inflow and the higher the demand to enter this elusive lagoon city, the higher will be the price.

Many travellers may be familiar with this practice of surge pricing through their experience of ridesharing.

Measure to prevent overcrowding

Simone Venturini, Venice’s councillor for tourism, announced the measure at a press conference Friday.

“We are pioneers, the first city in the world to apply a measure that could be revolutionary,” he said.

Ever since Italy did away with Covid-19 restrictions in June, tourists from far and wide have been swarming into the country like it’s a moth-drawing flame.

By imposing an entry fee upon its visitors, the Venice city council seeks to keep its infamous “overcrowding” problem under check.

It is understood that the scheme will enable the government to monitor arrivals and take measures to avoid “tourist peaks”.

However, even if the saturation does come, Venice won’t close its doors to visitors.

“We are thinking of a visitor limit beyond which you pay more but the city will never close,” Venturini said according to The Times.

What if you don't pay the Venice entry fee?

Tourists won’t get past the turnstiles at railway stations without a QR code on the ticket and could face fines from EUR 50 up to EUR 300 if found without a ticket during spot checks.

Does everyone have to pay the entry fee?

Not really. Among those exempted are students, workers, disabled people, tourists visiting for medical reasons, children under the age of six and those attending sporting or cultural events.

Visitors staying overnight who will have paid a tourist tax on their hotel bills are also excluded from the requirement.

Why is is Venice charging its tourists?

“It is not a system to make cash but to manage tourist flows,” Michele Zuin, Venice's finance chief said according to CNN.

The scheme is aimed at lowering the tax paid by the residents and will fund the maintenance of Venice.

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