Venice to set entry fee of 5 euros for tourists

Will 2022 be the year when the city becomes pay-per-visit?

Venice is one of the most heavily visited cities on Earth thanks to its unique charms composed of grandiose architecture and watery location. It is also a vulnerable place, which is the reason why the Italian government has been having plans since 2019 to restrict access to it by imposing entry fees on tourists.

Such plans were set to go off already last summer, as we have previously reported, however, they have been postponed several times. Euronews has informed that the authorities are this time set putting words to action in a few weeks, although no definitive date has been announced just yet for the launch of the restrictive entry system.

What has been confirmed, though, is the price of a single-entry ticket – 5 euros – to be paid and booked in advance online.

Daily ticket to discourage daily tourism

The rolling COVID pandemic waves have been cited as the reason behind the continuous postponement of the measure. According to data, about 100,000 tourists visit the city daily, flooding the narrow streets, canals and squares. Most of them, however, come just for several hours – disembarking from a cruise ship (now banned from entering the old town) or otherwise.

This has been described as ‘hit-and-run’ tourism that is disruptive to the local pace of life and culture.

"The aim is to discourage one-day tourism, hit-and-run tourism, arriving in one day and leaving in the same day, tiring and stressing the city, and encouraging slower tourism instead," explained Simone Venturini, the city's deputy mayor for tourism, as cited by Euronews.

It may seem ironic to fight off day tourism with a daily ticket, but the authorities are confident that this paying to enter will dissuade many from coming to stroll about and thus reduce the unnecessary crowding. It might also raise the level of the economic profile of visitors.

What’s more, apart from the entry gates to be installed at the city’s entrance points (the gates have already arrived), there will be 500 cameras throughout various points broadcasting various images and searching for stray tourists. One might wonder, would that bring about a new category – that of the ‘illegal tourist’?

Venice residents, at least, will not have to pay the entry fee and will be able to come and go freely.

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