According to statistics from the Venice city government, every year, about 25 million tourists flock to Venice, of which about 14 million people spend only one day to stay in this beautiful city in northern Italy. They come to Venice only for the purpose of picnicking, hardly bringing income to local businesses. Therefore, the Venice council decided that tourists will have to pay a fee of 3 euros/year when coming to Venice. This amount will increase from 6 to 10 euros from 2020 (depending on the low or high tourist season).
Piazza San Marco Square in Venice
The city of Venice has been recognized as a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). As of the end of 2018, Italy has a total of 54 world heritage sites recognized by UNESCO and this is the country with the largest number of world heritage sites in the world.
Luigi Brugnaro, Mayor of Venice, said the fee will not apply to overnight visitors in Venice, as they are already subject to the tax at the local hotels where they stay.
Basilica di San Marco in Venice
Mr. Luca Zaia, governor of the Veneto region (where Venice is the capital) welcomed the city council's decision: "Venice needs to be maintained and cared for like museums, sports stadiums, cinemas, trains, planes... This fee will contribute to the sustainable development of Venice, benefiting both tourists and the city."
Venice's population has plummeted over the years: from around 175,000 after World War II to around 50,000 today. Current residents complain that their city is being overrun by tourists, affecting their way of life.
Mayor Brugnaro revealed that the city has to pay an extra 30 million euros a year for cleaning and sanitation in the central areas of the city when tourists from all over the world flock here. The phenomenon of tourism explosion has also become a headache for many other cities in Europe.
Rialto Bridge in Venice
In 2017, the city of Dubrovnik (Croatia) had to limit the number of tourists from cruise ships visiting this quiet ancient city.
In Spain, many people living in the cities of Barcelona, Palma de Majorca, San Sebastian... have strongly protested to local authorities about the sudden increase in the number of tourists in recent times and asked the leaders to take specific measures to control the situation.
