Venice has been charging visitors since April 25 on 29 peak days of the year, mainly weekends from May to July, from 8am to 4pm. Visitors arriving before and after this time, staying overnight, and residents or visitors to the city for work are exempt. Local authorities say the fee is “not a money-making tool for the city” but is used for a variety of social purposes.
The tax does not apply to people staying in hotels in Venice, as they are already subject to the accommodation tax. The exemption also applies to children under 14, residents of the area, students, workers and people visiting relatives, among others.
Tolls help the government "make some money" but "cannot save the city's soul"
Nearly 450,000 tourists have paid for tickets in the past two and a half months, generating an additional 2.2 million euros ($2.4 million) in tourism revenue, according to AP calculations based on data provided by the city.
Officials say the money collected will be used to improve the living environment, provide essential services including garbage collection and canal maintenance, and stabilize prices. Those who deliberately evade the fee will be severely fined, but so far no one has been caught. City officials say they want the trial to be a "gentle launch" that won't be too harsh on tourists.
Opponents, on the other hand, say the plan fails to make the city more livable for locals as tourists remain as numerous as ever.
They want policies to encourage resettlement in Venice’s historic center, where after decades of tourism boom, there are now more beds for visitors than there are permanent residents (around 50,000).
Entrance fees are also opposed by many locals because they will turn Venice into Disneyland, where everyone who comes to visit must buy a ticket.
Venice, which consists of more than 100 large and small islands located in northeastern Italy, is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world and was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987. In 2023, Venice "escaped" being put on UNESCO's list of endangered heritage sites after the local government applied an entrance fee policy effective from April 25.
In 2021, Venice imposed a ban on large cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers, rerouting them to a more distant industrial port and imposing a tax on overnight guests.
