Venice to Begin Charging Visitors for City Access

Venice is finally taking steps to combat overtourism, a longstanding issue affecting the city. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, approximately 25 to 30 million tourists would flock to La Serenissima each year, overcrowding its narrow streets, polluting its canals, and displacing locals as historic apartments were converted into short-term rentals. Once a prosperous maritime republic, Venice's population has now dwindled to about 50,000 residents. The situation became so critical that the UNESCO World Heritage Committee considered adding Venice to its list of endangered heritage sites.

In December 2018, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro introduced a proposal to implement a tourist fee for entering the city, but the plan was postponed due to the pandemic. It now appears that the city will soon require visitors to book a ticket in advance, although specifics such as the fee amount, enforcement methods, and the implementation date are still being finalized.

"We are developing a system for mandatory reservations to deter day-trippers and promote high-quality, experiential tourism," stated Venice city council member Simone Venturini in an interview with Dinogo. "Venice is setting a precedent on a global scale for creating an innovative system to mitigate the negative impacts of overtourism."

Venturini confirmed that tourists staying in hotels and other accommodations will have unrestricted access to the city. The goal is to manage visitor flow from a 'smart control room' utilizing artificial intelligence, which will also aid in regulating transportation and other services. There's no update yet on the (somewhat contentious) implementation of turnstiles.

A report from Euronews on January 7 indicated that starting in 2022, travelers will be required to purchase a €5 (approximately US$5.70) ticket online before visiting the city. According to the Italian newspaper Venezia Today, the tassa di sbarco (disembarkation tax) will vary between €3 and €8 (US$0–$9) for day visitors, while tourists staying in hotels—who already pay a city tax—will be exempt from this charge. The newspaper also mentioned that the city is considering an app for bookings and turnstiles to enforce these measures. The Points Guy reported that 500 CCTV cameras will be installed across the city, with police using mobile phone data to track visitor activity.

Fulvio De Bonis, cofounder of the luxury tour operator Imago Artis Travel, expressed to Dinogo, "I don’t think they have defined the details yet." While he and many in the tourism sector agree that action is necessary to combat overtourism, there is no consensus on the best method to achieve this.

Italy’s culture minister, Dario Franceschini, criticized the idea of entry tickets and turnstiles during the unveiling of new rooms at Venice’s Accademia Galleries last August. He stated, "We should use less invasive technologies to manage visitor flow, which is essential. However, when I think of turnstiles, I envision an airport rather than a city."

Some opponents of the proposed plan argue that turnstiles at the entrances to Venice’s historic center would make visitors feel as though they were entering a theme park like Walt Disney World. De Bonis agrees that turnstiles are not the ideal solution and recommends a system similar to Italy’s existing green pass system, where visitors would need to show on an app that they’ve paid the city tax each time they enter a restaurant, museum, or other venue.

"We must safeguard and cherish the wonders of Venice by limiting visitor numbers. We cannot permit the masses to continue tarnishing the lagoon's image," De Bonis stated.

He remarked, "Entering Venice is like stepping into a realm of wonders that we all, as spectators, cherish. If implementing a fee is necessary to safeguard Venice, I support it, but it shouldn’t be the sole solution—and clearly, the revenue generated must be allocated for the city's restoration and maintenance efforts,"