Authorities say the goal is to find a “new balance” between tourism and the everyday life of the Venetians.
Heads up, travelers! If you’re visiting Venice soon, be advised that daytrippers entering the Unesco World Heritage site for the day will now have to buy a five-euro ($5.3) ticket.
As one of the world’s most enchanting cities, it comes as no surprise that Venice is a tourist magnet, and one that has been perennially burdened by overtourism. The day pass/entry fee might just be the solution to overcrowding resulting in overwhelmed and irate locals and a heritage site at risk from too much human activity.
Finding a new balance
Under the trial system, the so-called “Access Fee” tickets will be required only on 29 busy days throughout 2024, mostly weekends from May to July, with the goal of persuading daytrippers to visit during quieter times.
In an interview with Agence France Presse (AFP), Simone Venturini, the local councilor responsible for tourism, said the goal is to find a “new balance” between tourism and the everyday life of the Venetians. “We must work to reduce the impact of daily tourism on certain days… (which) generates stress for the city,” he said.
As the new process of entering Venice starts today, April 25, all eyes will be on the city as many other destinations around the world are struggling with mass tourism and are also looking to strike that balance the Venetian councilor mentioned.
While the surge in travelers helps boost the local economy, it oftentimes overwhelms local communities and even threatens fragile ecosystems and historical sites.
Unesco sounds the alarm
Also known as “La Serenissima” or the most serene, Venice, with its 100 small islands and islets in northeastern Italy, was listed by Unesco as a World Heritage site in 1987.
With its enigmatic beauty that’s unlike anywhere else in the world, people come in droves to experience its old world splendor and timeless charm. At peak times, then, as many as 100,000 visitors stay overnight in the historic center of Venice, double the resident population of just 50,000.
Tens of thousands more pour into the city’s labyrinthine streets for the day, sometimes from cruise ships and others from neighboring cities like Florence as a day trip.
Venice had already imposed a ban in 2021 on the massive cruise ships from which thousands of daytrippers emerge daily, rerouting them to a more distant industrial port.
In 2023, the mass of humanity that descended upon Venezia every day caused Unesco to issue a warning that it will include the city on its list of heritage sites in danger, citing mass tourism as well as rising water levels in its lagoon attributed to climate change.
According to AFP, Venice “escaped the ignominy only after local authorities agreed to the new ticketing system.”
The idea surfaced even before the pandemic, with some opposing it as it could dent tourist revenue and “compromise freedom of movement.”
Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, acknowledged that the tickets were “an experiment,” and officials are still unsure as to how the system will pan out.
A seamless process and hefty fines
Mayor Brugnaro assured the media that the new system would be monitored with “very soft controls” and “without queues,” with visitors highly encouraged to buy their tickets online beforehand.
Tickets are also available on site, in a new ticket office set up on the square in front of the Santa Lucia train station, the main point of entry into the city.
Controllers will carry out spot checks in key areas, with hefty fines ranging from 50 to 300 euros ($53 to $320)—so don’t even think about trying to sneak in without paying!
Tourists staying in Venice who have already paid for the overnight tax for the privilege are exempt from the new tickets, as are those arriving between 4 pm and 8:30 am, minors under 14, and the disabled. You may want to visit during those window hours to save yourself five euros.
For the time being, there is no ceiling on the number of day tickets just yet. You can downloaded it in the form of a QR code from this website.
