Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy - April 24, 2024

Venice introduces entry fee for tourists visiting historic lagoon city from April 25

Pitch:
Venice is moving forward with its initiative to become the pioneer in charging admission fees for day visitors.
 
It aims to transform into a city celebrated for its culture, cuisine, and now also for its entrance fees.
 
Commencing on April 25, 2024, individuals visiting the historic core of Venice will be required to pay €5 (£4.25) for entry between 8:30 am and 4 pm on select days during the spring and summer seasons.

The council has officially announced the introduction of an online payment system that tourists must utilize to purchase tickets.

Upon accessing the website, visitors to Venice will obtain a QR code, which they must present to city officials during inspections. Fines for those failing to adhere to the new entry fee regulations start from 50 euros.

The objective of the entry fee is to diminish crowds, promote extended stays, and enhance the quality of life for local residents, local politicians say.

Local authorities have implemented this measure to combat overtourism and safeguard the city's well-being.
 
Venice attracts approximately 30 million tourists annually, with a significant portion, about 21 million, visiting for the day only.

Prior to the Covid pandemic, Unesco cautioned that Venice's designation as a World Heritage site was at risk due to the overwhelming influx of tourists.
 
While overnight tourists staying in Venice hotels will be exempt from the fee, they still need to register online and acquire a code for passage through checkpoints.

In 2024, the fee will be applicable on 29 days, starting with Italy's Liberation Day on April 25, which commemorates the resistance against fascism during World War II.
 
This fee will be enforced for the ensuing ten days, concluding on Sunday, May 5. Additionally, visits on the following seven weekends, until Sunday, July 14, will also incur the charge.
 
Local authorities say the initiative is experimental for the current year, with potential modifications in the following years.
 
Unesco underscores the jeopardy facing Venice's "Outstanding Universal Value," a core aspect of every World Heritage site.

The implementation of the tourist tax follows Venice narrowly avoiding placement on UNESCO's endangered list due to the detrimental effects of overtourism on its fragile ecosystem last year. Local politicians including local Venice tourism councillor Simone Venturini emphasize the fee is not aimed at generating additional revenue.

Instead, he characterized it as a pioneering effort to manage tourist traffic in one of the globe's most frequented destinations.
 
Shotlist:
1. Various beauty shots Venice;
2. Various beauty shots canals;
3. Various beauty shots tourists;
4. Various setup Federica Toninello, spox for Assemblea Sociale per la Casa (housing rights association);
5.SOT Toninello ENGLISH
Various city municipality “smart control room”
6. SOT Marco Bettini, director of Venis Spa, local municipality’s ICT company ENGLISH
Various Silvia Chmet, psychoanalyst from Trieste who travels to Venice once a week
7. SOT Chmet (Italian)
“I come here to Venice from Trieste once a week for a training in psychoanalysis which is not among the activities that would be entitled to the exemption. I come around 2:30 to 4:30, then we have the team so for an hour and a half from 2:30 to 16:30. I would have to pay next Wednesday of course during the days I have arranged to be here five euros because I do not fall into those categories for which the discount has been provided. But I do not come with a trolley, I do not consume the cobblestones, I spend very little time here and then then take the train back to Trieste and I consider this harassment by the institutions. I will stop coming here next Wednesday, and I urge all other citizens to do the same. Here in Venice you pay for everything.”
8. Various Venice station;
9. SOT Simone Venturini, tourism and economic development councillor;
10. Various tourists at Venice station.