The authorities in Venice apply measures to eliminate overcrowding in the city. Starting from Thursday, tourists arriving in this area of Italy will be required to pay a 5 euro tax. Entry tickets will be checked by controllers at the station. The authorities have set up a ticket purchase point near the main entrance to the city.
Mandatory tax for tourists who want to visit Venice
The northern Italian city is marking a world first by introducing a special visitor tax for tourists. This applies to people who do not intend to spend the night in Venice, but visit the city in one day.
Photo source: dreamstime.com
Thus, tourists who want to walk along the canals or taste the dishes in the restaurants will enter the city after paying the tax.
Measures to avoid overcrowding
Authorities in Venice say the measure for day-trippers was introduced to avoid overcrowding.
“The goal is to find a balance between tourism and the city and its inhabitants (…) We need to reduce the impact of day tourists on certain days. On certain dates, it is too high and this creates stress for the city”, explained the Italian deputy for tourism Simone Venturini.
In front of the Santa Lucia station, the main entry point to the city, the authorities have installed a ticket counter. Staff at the counter will guide visitors on how to pay, tickets are also available online.
Photo source: AFP PHOTO / MARCO SABADIN
Venice, the first tourist city to charge an entrance fee
With this measure, the tourist town in northern Italy becomes the first in the world to charge such a tax. The decision is not considered favorable by all tourists.
“If I come from abroad, I don’t mind paying 5 euros (…) I don’t think there will be a big difference. “, said Ashish Thakkar, a tourist of Indian origin who lives in Florida.
Officials from the Ministry of Tourism claim that the measure was introduced “mainly to discourage local tourism by residents of the Veneto region, who can visit Venice whenever they want.”
Tourists who do not obey the new rules risk fines between 50 and 300 euros.
