Venice authorities revealed they will begin charging visitors to the city 5€ (around 5.40 USD) to enter for a day trip starting in 2024. The fee will be applied to 30 days over the calendar year, mostly on busy days during holiday weekends, Carnevale time and other days with peak tourist predictions. The specific dates are yet to be determined, but will likely begin between Easter 2024 and April 25, 2024. Entry reservations will be made online. Anyone required to pay who does not do so will face a 300 euro sanction.
The fee does not come as a surprise as discussions to make it happen have been prominent in Italian tourism news for the past several years. On busy days the city can be overwhelmed by tourists. Often they outnumber residents and the city is not equipped for the added trash in bins, rubbish left on the streets or extra foot traffic. Simone Venturini of the Department of Tourism says the daytripper tax is not a means for earning money, but rather a way to guarantee that Venetian residents have a better quality of life and that visitors experience a better Venice.
Day visitors over the age of 14 will be required to pay, but some exemptions apply such as those spending the night in hotels or rentals, commuters and those who pay local property tax.
The approval of this proposal came after a council met on September 12, 2023 and voted 24 to 12 in favor of charging the entry fee. The decision was not met with all around support- while the voting was taking place, protestors roared outside the town hall.
Overtourism has long plagued the city of Venice. Could this be the solution?