The popular lagoon city will be charging day-tourists a basic entry fee in an effort to manage the large influx of visitors Venice receives each year.
The entry tax has been approved by the Italian parliament and is not the first of its kind for the popular European country. In 2018, the small southern village of Puglia charged travellers a basic entry fee of what amounted to R80 to enter the town to encourage tourists to visit the region beyond the warmer months of the year.
Venice’s neighbouring islands like Elba and the Aeolian Islands currently charge day-tourists an entry fee as well.
Picturesque, romantic Venice. Image: Pixabay.
Each year Venice welcomes an average of over 30 million visitors, and the Italian parliament hopes that the entry fee will curb the increasing numbers by scaling down the hordes of tourists in this way.
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Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro told the Guardian that the funds collected from this levy would go towards managing and clearing the rubbish day-tourists leave behind.
“The arrival tax is now law. We will establish a balanced and shared regulation that protects those who live, study and work in the territory.”
According to the Guardian and Italian media reports a minimum entry charge of €2.50 (R41) per person is expected, with the cost ranging between €5 (R82) and €10 (R165) per person during the high season.
As yet there are no clear dates as to when the fee will be applicable to travellers.
Tourists are currently charged a tax fee for spending even one night in the city. The entry tax will not be an additional cost to the overnight traveller tax.
Another reason for the parliament’s attempt to alleviate the tourist influx is due to Unesco considering Venice’s status as ‘an endangered heritage site’.
Tourists flock to St. Mark’s Square and Rialto Bridge, and in 2018, two entry point gates were installed during the peak season to ease the number of visitors to these popular areas.
When the numbers ran too high, the gates were closed and access was only given to those with a hotel booking in the designated area or a Venezia Unica city pass, a card used by residents or those who use the water bus.
Travellers are being encouraged to visit lesser-known parts of Venice or one of its islands like Burano. Venetians have held several protests against the large numbers of tourists that visit the city, indicating that it has negatively affected the quality of life in the lagoon city.
The Guardian reported that the local population in Venice has decreased from 175,000 to what was last measured at 55,000.
Picture: Unsplash
All price calculations were correct at the time of publication.
