One of the most popular cities in the world among tourists still introduces an entrance fee. We are talking about Venice. The city on the water has returned to the idea of charging one-day tourists an entry tax of 5 euros for the right to visit the city. Moreover, as stated in the Italian press, this measure was announced during the UNESCO debate on the inclusion of the legendary city on the water in the black list of world heritage sites in danger of extinction.
“Mass tourism endangers the life of the city and its inhabitants “UNESCO also said, welcoming the fact that the Venetian authorities have approved an entrance fee of 5 euros for those who come to visit Venice for one day. There are about 30 million such tourists in the city annually. The system will be introduced next summer – first for a trial period of 30 consecutive days on spring and summer weekends.
“The ticket will be available for purchase on a multilingual platform, which will become available in the coming months,” local authorities say. Only locals will be able to enter the city for free – residents of the municipality of Venice, as well as their families, those who come to work and children under 14 years old.
“The administration's intention is to discourage day-trip tourism during certain periods, given the sensitivity and uniqueness of the city,” the media added, noting that the main purpose of the tax was to “guarantee residents a better quality of life” as well as improve the tourist experience. who spend at least one night in the city. “The message we want to convey is that Venice is accessible, open, but visitors, both local and international, need to understand that planning is needed to better manage the balance between accommodation and tourism,” explained councilor Michel Zyuin.
As experts add, day-trippers only provide a burden to the city without any benefit: they come for just one day and quickly move around the main attractions of the historical center, using public services such as transport and toilets. Moreover, as a rule, the arrival of large groups of tourists creates problems for residents.
We would like to remind you that this is not the first time this issue has been discussed. Two years ago, authorities approved a similar measure with an entry fee ranging from 3 to 10 euros, which was due to come into force this year. But the introduction of the fee was postponed. “The implementation of this project in practice was more difficult than expected due to technical, legal and political obstacles. Practical difficulties also arose, such as the need to create a global information campaign for tourists about the new norms, negotiate with hotels, platforms and transport companies, as well as implement payment, entry permit and sanctions systems,” the media added.
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