Venice is the first city in the world to charge 5 euros in tourist tax per visitor on the 29 busiest days until summer, in the hope that this will ensure a better distribution of tourists. Last year the city was visited by 20 million people, half of whom were day trippers. In the high season, with 40,000 visitors per day, there are almost as many tourists as residents in the attractive lagoon city, where only 49,000 people live. Due to Airbnb rentals to holidaying visitors, fewer and fewer homes are available for residents, which are also becoming increasingly expensive.
This Thursday, a national holiday in Italy, tickets were sold for the first time. It is a long-cherished wish of Mayor Luigi Brugnaro. Day trippers without a ticket who are caught during spot checks risk a fine of between 50 and 300 euros.
Affordable rental housing
Some Venetian trade associations and residents’ organizations held a peaceful protest against the measure, which they say turns Venice into a kind of open-air museum, while the sale of entrance tickets will not stop tourists nor will it help with structural problems, such as a lack of affordable rental housing.
The introduction to the new rules was messy for some visitors. For example, some hotel guests, who are exempt from purchasing an entrance ticket because tourist tax is already included in their overnight stay, did not know that they must register despite their exemption. At the station, stewards were ready to direct people who had failed to collect a QR code online as an admission ticket to an offline registration desk.
Cruise ships
Other measures in Venice include restrictions on tour groups, which are limited to 25 tourists. Guides are not allowed to use loudspeakers. Cruise ships are also no longer welcome in the lagoon.
Other Italian cities struggling with overtourism have taken measures to spare the most visited attractions, but there is no question of entrance tickets for an entire city yet. Como, popular for its namesake lake and nearby Alps, is considering introducing the Venetian model if the experiment goes well.
