Venice Introduces an Entry Fee to Manage Tourism and Preserve Heritage

A city that needs no introduction, Venice – an Italian city which is formed by a complex system of canals, historic buildings and holding a vast cultural value, is intended for the introduction of 5 euro fee for the day visitors from this year. This step has been taken to control large number of visitors to this city so that they do not further harm the ecological balance and the monuments of this city.

In the last thirty years, Venice has become one of the best examples of what can happen when the phenomenon of overtourism goes unchecked. Currently, it is estimated that some 30 million tourist visits the city every year, significantly eclipsing the figure of the city’s residents who amount to about 50, 000. Nevertheless, more than two-thirds of such visitors come only for the day.

In which category does the government fit the community in order to be taxed or to be exempted?

This entrance fee will be imposed on day-trippers, who are part of the population since they constitute a significant number of the total travelers visiting Venice.

In the case where the visitor will be spending more than 24 hours in the city, he or she is not bound to this charge as he or she shall have paid a tourist tax charged in the accommodation places. 

Additionally, children under six, residents, and individuals visiting for work or health reasons will also be exempt from the fee.

Inhabitants come and go freely but to visitors, restricted access to the complex can be obtained by paying €5 for acknowledgment receipts issued at the gate between 8.30 am and 4 p.m As mentioned before once outside those restricted hours, main complex can be accessed freely. In case a person violates the law, he is liable to a fine of between €50 to €300.

A Rational as to Why the Fee

Venice, which is called the “Floating City” has a number of problems connected with massive tourism. Antisocial tourism is also a massive issue in the city because every year millions of tourists visit the city most especially during festive seasons, and this puts a lot of pressure on the physical infrastructure of the city and on the natural substrate on which the city has been established. The introduction of the €5 fee is a strategic effort by the local government to:The introduction of €5 fee was done by the local government and it was aimed at:

• Control Tourist Numbers: The city, therefore, instituted a little fee to make sure that standard with regards to tourism is well maintained and controlled.

• UNESCO World Heritage: Local authorities are thus keen on protecting the UNESCO listed site which registers an average of 40,000 tourists daily with accommodation provided in groups of 25 people and almost twice the population of the city.

• Generate Revenue for Preservation: The money collected will be used to preserve Venice structures, architecture, canal and the rest of the property that holds its rich culture.

• Enhance Visitor Experience: This means that with fewer tourists in Venice, the sight seers as well as the users of the area will have the ability to enjoy Venice in a more natural way.

• Improved Quality of Life: By letting people pay a $5 charge for entry they would hope to minimize such issues, have people spend more time within the park, and most importantly, enhance people’s quality of life.

How It Works

Tourists can pay the entry fee through various digital platforms before their visit or at designated points of entry into the city. You can book tickets and get their QR code via the online payment platform.

The authorities are working on integrating this system with existing travel booking platforms to streamline the process and avoid inconvenience.

Reactions and Future Outlook

It has been receiving both positive and negative sentiments as it moves towards introducing the entry fee.

A significant number of residents and environmentalists for the measure support arguing that the measure is helpful in an attempt of retaining the heritage of Venice and enhancing the standard of living in the area.

Nonetheless, there are some incidents that some business owners and often guests have raised their concerns on adverse effects on tourism and economic development.

The words of the mayor of venice

Venice’s Mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, affirmed this is one of the measures the government is taking in the quest of making a change that will effectively and sustainably improve the quality of the tourism scene in Venice for its residents and for the citizens coming in for the tourism benefit. ”Venice is an open air museum and it has to be handled with the dignity it deserves,” said Brugnaro in an interview.

Thus, as the new page of Venice’s existence opens, the global audience pays close attention. If successful, this model might inspire other popular tourist destinations facing similar challenges to implement comparable measures.