The Italian lagoon city of Venice has decided to ask day tourists to pay five euros on some days from 2024. Experts doubt that the measure will help against mass tourism.
In the future, short visitors to Venice will have to pay admission on certain days. The local council of the Italian lagoon city has decided to charge a fee of five euros to tourists who only stay for a few hours and do not spend the night.
The regulation is scheduled to start in spring. In 2024, it will initially apply on 30 days when experience shows that there are particularly many visitors. It will be expanded later. The exact dates are still open.
Twice as many tourists as residents
Essentially, Venice – one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world – now has fewer than 50,000 permanent residents. During the high season, on some days there are more than twice as many tourists. The flow of visitors has been causing major problems for many years. Cruise tourists in particular have come under criticism. That’s why there have been considerations about charging admission for a long time.
The decision for the Contributo d’Accesso (access fee) has been postponed several times. The plan is now for day visitors to be able to get a QR code online and upload it to their cell phone, which must be shown during checks. Otherwise there are penalties of between 50 and 300 euros. The city administration justifies the project by saying that there must be a “balance of interests” between residents and tourists.
Will Venice become a “threatened world heritage site”?
However, many experts are skeptical that the fee will make any difference. Why should visitors be put off by five euros – in a city that already demands a lot from them? The official rate for a half-hour gondola ride in the evening is now 100 euros, and a cappuccino costs more than ten euros in some cafés. Business people like the owner of Harry’s Bar, Arrigo Cipriani, simply call the fee “harassment.” Several citizens’ initiatives doubt that their municipality is actually serious about the plans.
The newspaper “Corriere della Sera” has calculated that the expected revenue is just enough to finance the necessary infrastructure and controls. Many therefore suspect that the decision – and in particular the date of introduction – is related to the fact that UNESCO is currently deliberating whether Venice should be placed on the red list of “threatened world cultural heritage”.
In July, experts from the UN cultural organization recommended the listing because the city and lagoon were exposed to irreversible changes due to mass tourism and climate change.