With 120 islands, 177 canals, and 391 bridges, Venice, Italy is one of the most unique sights to behold in the world, and it absolutely makes the list of must-see cities for travelers. However, those who want to enter the city for a day will now have to pay an entrance fee.
On April 25, Italy celebrated its Liberation day, and in Venice the feast day of St. Mark ensued. On top of that, Venice also began charging day-trippers entry fees on the same day starting at 8 A.M. In Venice, this city entry fee is called the “contributo di accesso.” For now the fee is part of a pilot project run by the city council through mid July. The city will determine if they can make an entrance fee work long-term in the coming months. Though the practice was met with some protest, the city is now charging a five euros ($5.40) entry fee.
As hotspot destinations around the world work to combat overtourism, Venice, Italy has taken preventative measures to the next level. For years, Venice has been making headlines as efforts to preserve the precariously located city have been overshadowed by the city’s constant influx of tourists. Headlines like “Is Venice Sinking?” and “Italy’s plan to save Venice from sinking” have depicted the city overwrought by rain and rising sea levels, and through it all tourists have continued to flock here.
So if those who visit Venice for the day have to pay five euro then what should a traveler pay if they stay a week? Luckily for those who like more time to explore, tourists staying overnight will not have to pay the entrance fee as an overnight tax is already included in the price of their accommodation.
Despite this, these travelers will still need to request an exemption in order to bypass the fee. This means all travelers entering the city should either have a ticket or an exemption according to CNN.
Those protected from these fees of course include residents of the city, however, some locals are not happy about the fee to the city, claiming the intervention makes Venice into a theme park of sorts. One protest organizer, Ruggero Tallon, told CNN the protests were efforts to stand “against the mayor’s idea of a closed city, a museum city.”
For those who agree with Tallon, the entrance fee is pointless, and a non-solution to the problem of overtourism. “A ticket does nothing,” Tallon said. “It doesn’t stop the monoculture of tourism. It doesn’t ease the pressure on Venice. It’s a medieval tax and it’s against freedom of movement.”
Reports from the Venice mayor’s office informed CNN that around 113,000 visitors registered on the first day the entry fee was imposed. Of that number around 15,700 paid the fee, with the rest proving exemption.
Featured Image: Statue at St Mark’s Basilica Overlooking the Piazza San Marco in Venice (Photo by Viacheslav Lopatin)
