Now it will cost more to visit Venice, the first city in the world to impose an access ticket

Starting Thursday, visitors who come to Venice for a single day must present an entrance ticket to access the City of Canals, in a measure unprecedented in the world to combat excess tourism.

The ticket is purchased online at a price of 5 euros (US$5.30) and generates a QR code that tourists must present at the main access points of this city in northeastern Italy.

Although the fee is moderate and the system does not impose a limit on daily visitors, municipal authorities hope that it will deter some of the tourists who crowd its alleys and the bridges over its canals on busy days.

Venice will thus become the first city in the world to impose an entrance ticket on its visitors, as if it were a theme park.

The problem of excess tourism has generated rejection movements in other places, such as Spain, which have led the authorities to try to reconcile the well-being of the inhabitants with a crucial economic sector.

“It is an experiment and it is the first time it will be done in the world”explained the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, at a press conference at the beginning of the month in Rome to present this system to international media.

The experience will capture the attention of other tourist cities in the world that are in a similar situation.

“Our goal is to make Venice more livable”said Brugnaro, whose council has already banned large cruise ships from docking in the city.

At its busiest times, Venice has 100,000 overnight tourists, plus tens of thousands of daily visitors. That contrasts with the approximately 50,000 inhabitants of the city center, which continues to decrease.

However, in this phase the experiment has a very limited scope: by 2024, only 29 days of high tourist influx will be affected by the new rate.

“The calendar begins on April 25 (a holiday in Italy), followed by almost every weekend from May to July“said Brugnaro, who promised”very smooth controls“, “random” and “without tails”.

Numerous exceptions

This tax, whose application has been postponed several times, is intended only for tourists who enter the old town daily between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. local.

They will have to upload their QR code from the website (https://cda.ve.it), available in English, Spanish, French and German, in addition to Italian.

This QR code must be presented to the controllers stationed at the main entrances to the city, especially at the Santa Lucía station.

Tourists who have not completed this procedure will be invited to purchase it at the last moment upon arrival, with the help of local operators.

That won’t pose problems because there is no limit to the number of QR codes sold per day.

“We are opposed to a limited number, otherwise we will no longer be a city but a museum”, insisted the mayor of Venice.

A fine of 50 to 300 euros is also expected for tourists who try to enter secretly.

Tourists who spend at least one night on site will not be affected and will receive a free QR code, and there are several exceptions planned, especially for children under 14 years of age and students.

Venice, famous for its monuments, works of art, bridges and canals, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

But the city barely escaped in September from entering UNESCO’s list of endangered heritage, whose experts pointed out that it was threatened by excessive tourism and climate warming due to the measures.insufficient” taken by Italy to combat its deterioration.