Venice to start charging entry fees from visitors in 2024

Venice is set to start the long-debated ticketing system, on a trial basis, from spring next year, said officials on Tuesday (September 5), which will make it compulsory for day-trippers to pay five euros for entering the historic centre of the Italian city. The step is being taken to decrease the number of tourists flocking the city.

The move was supported by the council executive just weeks after Venice was recommended by the UN cultural agency UNESCO to be included in its list of world heritage in danger, especially because of the negative impact of mass tourism.

"Regulating tourist flows in certain periods is necessary, but that does not mean closing the city," stated Mayor Luigi Brugnaro. "Venice will always be open to everyone,” he added.

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The ticketing plan, which has been mooted for a long, still needs the approval of the wider city council which will be meeting on September 12. Also, many details regarding the ticketing system remain unclear, like how many tickets will be available.

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New system to make Venice a “trailblazer on the global level"

However, the council executive agreed to a 30-day trial on Tuesday, which means that the system is likely to work through all public holidays and weekends in the spring and summer of 2024.

Students, commuters, residents and children, below the age of 14, will remain exempted, along with tourists who will stay in the city overnight, said the local authorityin a statement.

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"The objective is to discourage daily tourism in certain periods, in line with the fragility and uniqueness of the city," it added.

With the introduction of a new system, Venice is likely to become a "trailblazer on the global level", stated Simone Venturini, the city's council member for tourism.

He stated that the new system was not about making money, as the proposed five-euro fee will only cover costs, but to find a "new balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice, and those who visit the city".

For years, the authorities in Venice have sought to ease the pressure of the increasing number of tourists who reach Venice to see sights which include St Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge.

Repeatedly, the ticketing plan has been postponed as concerns were raised that it is likely to seriously affect tourist revenue and compromise people's freedom of movement.

A ban was imposed on massive cruise ships in the city two years ago, as thousands of day-trippers came from such ships, and they were rerouted to a more distant industrial port.

(With inputs from agencies)

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