Venice will test a ticket system starting next spring that will force those who come to spend the day in the historic Italian city to pay 5 euros ($5.36), in an attempt to stem the flood of tourists.
The Executive Council of the City Council has supported the project weeks after Unesco recommended adding Venice to its list of world heritage in danger, partly because of the impact of mass tourism.
“Regulating the flow of tourists in some periods is necessary, but this does not mean closing the city,” said the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro. “Venice will always be open to everyone,” he adds.
The project, long debated, still has to be approved by the City Council as a whole. Many details remain to be finalized, such as how many tickets can be reserved. The Executive Council agreed to test the system for 30 days, likely during the holidays and weekends in the spring and summer of 2024.
The inhabitants, non-resident workers, students and children under 14 years of age will be exempt, as well as tourists who spend the night in the city. “The objective is to discourage daily tourism in certain periods, given the fragility and uniqueness of the city,” the local authorities said in a statement.
Probably, residents of the Veneto region, where Venice is located, do not have to pay either, although they do have to book the visit, they explain. With the new system, Venice will be “a global pioneer”, highlights Simone Venturini, councilor in the Tourism area.
Venturini has stressed that the city does not seek to obtain benefits, since the tax will only serve to cover the costs of the system, but to find “a new balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice and those who visit the city”.
On July 31, UNESCO warned that Venice is at risk of “irreversible” damage from climate change and mass tourism. The recommendation to include the city in its list of world heritage in danger will be discussed at the meeting that UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee will hold in Riyadh this month.
