From Thursday, April 25, Venice is the first major city in the world to impose a ticket for its historic center. Visitors pay 5 euros for their daily tour and the authorities say that the measure aims to protect the cultural heritage from the effects of excessive tourism.
The entrance fee for the historic center of Venice is available via a special app and will be valid for a pilot period of 29 days, mostly weekends, until 14 July. Those who do not have a ticket risk fines from 50 to 300 euros.
Excluded are permanent residents (this was missing), students who have Venice as a stopover for another destination, tourists staying overnight in the city and children under 14.
For Thursday, the first day of the measure’s validity and a national holiday in Italy, the Guardian writes that 5,500 tickets had been bought, i.e. 27,500 euros at the city’s coffers.
The city authority has promised to reduce local taxes for residents if the scheme is successful. Some agree with the measure saying that the large tourist traffic is often a “threat” for the city.
But there are those who disagree, accusing the authorities of turning the city into a theme park, writes the Guardian, which reports that protests are planned by activist groups who argue that the measure damages the image of Venice and is not a solution to control of tourist traffic.
According to data cited by the British Telegraph, last year, Venice – with its 49,000 inhabitants – welcomed around 20 million tourists, half of whom stayed at least one night in the city.
According to the Telegraph in addition to the entry ticket, the local Veleti authorities have also banned large cruise ships and imposed a cap on the number of people on tour groups.
Last year Venice was at risk of being listed as an endangered cultural heritage site, not only because of over-tourism that could threaten the fragile city, but also because of climate change that is raising the water level in the canals.
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