The entrance fee of five euros apparently doesn't stop day tourists from visiting Venice. In the first eight days of the trial phase there was income of around 700,000 euros – much more than expected.
Venice became the first city in the world to charge admission to day visitors last week. But the fee of five euros doesn't seem to deter them: the income from the entrance fee has exceeded the city administration's expectations.
As Corriere della Sera reports, around 700,000 euros were raised within eight days. This amount was actually budgeted for the entire duration of the test phase of 29 days. Since its introduction, almost 145,000 people have booked tickets.
Exceptions for residents and Overnight guests
Venice is currently testing its day tickets in an 11-day block from April 25th to May 5th and most weekends until July 14th. During this period, day visitors must register via a portal and pay an entry fee of five euros.
Residents of Venice and the Veneto region, overnight guests and people who work, study, go to school and take part in sports competitions in the lagoon city are exempt. Those in need of care and relatives of residents are also exempt from the fee.
City plans to increase it to ten euros
The city administration would like to use the data collected from the 29-day test phase to organize long-term access restrictions. Next year, the number of days requiring registration and payment will increase, and access to the historic center of Venice will also be limited.
In addition, an increase in the fee from five to ten euros per person is planned. Various groups protested against the registration of visitors to Venice. The focus of criticism is the handling of personal data.
mass tourism endangers old town
With around 15 million guests per year, the Italian lagoon city is one of the most visited travel destinations in the world. Mass tourism brings a lot of money into the Venetians' coffers, but is now also causing them a lot of trouble.
Last year, Venice was on the verge of being placed on a Red List of World Heritage in Danger by the United Nations. On many days it is almost impossible to get through the narrow streets around St. Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge. You can see in some of the buildings how much tourism is affecting them. Even St. Mark's Tower is crumbling.
Income earmarked for renovations
The income will therefore later be used to renovate canals, streets and buildings. Last Thursday, the city's tourism officer, Simone Venturini, explicitly stated that the aim was to deter day visitors at times when there are, as experience has shown, a particularly large number of guests.
At the time the daily fee was introduced, Venice visitors without exception said in street surveys that they would not be deterred by five euros. Other frequently visited cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona or Dubrovnik follow closely the experiences Venice has.
