Revolutionary City to Be the Front-Runner in Implementing Day-Tripper Fees

According to CNN, Venice, Italy, will become the first city in the world to implement an entry fee for day-trippers. This new measure will be introduced next spring as part of a 30-day experiment aimed at reducing daily tourism in certain periods to preserve the city’s uniqueness and fragility. The City Council executive stated that they will select 30 days spread across different months when the city expects high tourist traffic, such as during holiday weekends and the Carnival festival, and charge day-trippers exclusively on those days. The proposed fee is 5 euros, approximately $5.40.

The fee, which still needs the approval of the wider City Council, will apply to day-trippers over the age of 14 visiting Venice’s Old City or historic center. However, there will be exemptions for individuals participating in sporting competitions, as stated in a translated statement. The fee will not apply to those visiting for work or school, specific relatives of Venice residents, or residents of the larger Veneto region. The funds raised will be utilized for a new day-tripper booking system, as reported by CNN. Many details, including the number of tickets to be issued per day, remain unclear.

The statement also mentioned that “a further resolution…will define specific details and variations,” including the time slots during which the fee will be applicable and its value, which will initially be set at 5 euros. This announcement comes after the United Nations’ cultural agency expressed concerns about the impact of mass tourism on Venice’s status as a World Heritage site. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro emphasized the necessity of regulating tourist flows in certain periods without resorting to closing the city entirely, according to Forbes. (Read more Venice stories.)