Summary
- Visitor Fee Implementation: The city of Venice will start charging a fee to day visitors.
- Goal of the Fee: The fee aims to reduce over-tourism and achieve a balance between locals and tourists.
- Future of Tourism in Venice: Additional measures are being taken to protect Venice’s cultural heritage and unique environment.
Venice Introduces Visitor Fee for Day-Trippers
Venice will finally look to implement its much-discussed fee for day visitors next year on a trial basis after initially postponing it.
The fee, which will cost €5 ($5.36) per person, will be imposed on all travelers over 14 years old who come to the famous canal city for the day, Reuters reported, citing the city council. Moreover, this fee will likely take effect mainly during spring bank holidays and summer weekends when the city experiences its highest foot traffic.
An exact date for when the trial will begin was not immediately clear.
Venice tourism councilor Simone Venturini stated the goal is to find “a new balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice and those who visit the city.”
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Venice first considered the idea of a visitor fee for day trippers in 2019; however, the passage was delayed due to various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The city then looked to implement it in 2022 before delaying it again until 2023.
Overnight visitors who currently stay in hotels are already subject to a different tax, which contributes to the city’s revenue.
The implementation of the day tax is a proactive measure to prevent over-tourism in a city recognized as a bucket-list destination for many travelers to Italy. In fact, tourists often outnumber residents in the city, raising concerns over sustainability and local quality of life.
In recent years, Venice has undertaken several initiatives to preserve its unique attributes, including declaring the waterways around the city a “national monument” and banning large cruise ships from passing through its canals. Consequently, these measures earned the city a temporary reprieve from being included on the UNESCO World Heritage danger list.
However, last month, UNESCO again recommended adding the city to the list, stating that the efforts were “currently insufficient and not detailed enough.”
In addition to the fee in Venice, travelers to Europe will also face an extra cost next year when the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is implemented. This fee will cost €7 ($7.51) and will be valid for three years or until the expiration date of a traveler’s document.
