From April 25, 2024, tourists who want to visit Venice will have to pay an entrance fee.

This “tourist toll”, which applies only 29 days a year and in a limited time frame, was announced on Thursday by the city council of the Italian city famous for its canals.

The price for a general ticket will be 5 euros, confirmed Venetian Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, after announcing the calendar of the days when the controversial rate will be in effect, which coincides with the busiest tourist times of the year.

The measure will be in effect every day from April 25 to May 5, after which charges will be charged on consecutive weekends (Saturday and Sunday) until July 14, excluding the weekend coinciding with Republic Day. and 2).

“It is not a revolution, but the first step towards regulating access for daily visitors. An experiment that aims to improve the quality of life of the city, of those who live in it and of those who work in it,” Brugnaro explained in a statement.

The “entrance fee”, as mentioned by the city council, will be mandatory from 8:30 am local time (07:30 GMT) to 4:00 pm (3:00 pm GMT) for all visitors over the age of 14, while exempting residents, workers and students of the city, as well as tourists with an accommodation reservation in Venice.

The penalties for those who do not pay vary from 50 to 300 euros.

“Venice is the first city in the world to implement this path, which could be an example for other fragile and fragile cities that need to be protected,” the mayor added.

This is what mass tourism looks like in Venice.

The city council will also rely on a control room in which they will receive data from sensors responsible for counting people, issuing tickets in museums and monitoring traffic on docks and piers.

The contribution is only required in the old town, where the emblematic St. Mark’s Square is located, and not on the smaller islands, including the Lido of Venice, Pellestrina, Murano, Burano, Torcello, Sant’Erasmo, Mazzorbo, Mazzorbetto, Vignole, S. Andrea, the Certosa, San Servolo, S. Clemente and Poveglia.

World Heritage

Venice, which receives 30 million tourists a year, has suffered for decades from a demographic decline that has meant that, for the first time in the historic series that began in 1871, fewer than 50,000 people live in its historic center (49,665 in the center of Venice). at the end of 2022, compared to 50,430 a year earlier and increased to 66,386 in 2000, according to official data).

The city of Venice and its lagoon have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1987 and last July UNESCO recommended its inclusion on the list of endangered heritage, but ultimately the UN body’s Committee decided to give Italy time to implement more conservation measures development, after a positive evaluation of the current plan, including the tourist toll. (JO)