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Venice Will Implement Tourist Fees And Reservations For Next Summer
By CAILEY RIZZO
In an effort to combat over-tourism, the Italian city of Venice has implemented new policies that will go into effect next summer. By Cailey Rizzo
Tourists who wish to visit Venice will have to book a ticket in advance for a fee and enter the city through electronic turnstiles, CNBC reported via Italian newspaper La Stampa.
The entry fee will change according to the season. In high season, tourists can expect to pay as much as $12 (INR 877) and during less popular visiting times, the price could drop to about $3.50 (INR 256). Visitors may have to book early if they plan on visiting Venice during its most popular month as the city will implement strict daily tourist capacity limits.
Credit: Kit Suman/Unsplash
However, tourists who are staying in local hotels will be exempt from the entrance fee. (Overnight guests in the city already pay a nightly tax.) Residents, their relatives, and children younger than six will also be exempt.
At its busiest, Venice could draw more than 80,000 tourists per day before the pandemic. (And an estimated 25 million visitors per year.) Thousands of locals were leaving the city, pushed out by throngs of tourists and increasing rent prices. Lawmakers approved the package of tourism restrictions last week. Discussion of the laws began back in 2019, but the passage was delayed due, in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the pandemic hit and tourists left, Venice immediately saw a difference. The city's canal waters cleared up and locals were once again left to wander their own streets. Last month, Italy declared the waters around Venice a national monument and banned large cruise ships from entering. Small ships are still permitted to enter the Venice lagoon.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee announced last month that because of Venice's efforts to save the city from over-tourism, it would not be included on a list of endangered world heritage sites.
Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or caileyrizzo.com.
Related: Venice Will Not Be Included On UNESCO World Heritage's Danger List
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