Venice has re-introduced, even before the start of the summer season, the access fee for tourists visiting the city for just one day, through which the local authorities try to control the huge flow of visitors and manage the phenomenon of overtourism more effectively.
On Friday, April 3, the Venetian authorities reintroduced the 10-euro entrance fee for tourists who choose to spend just one day in the famous Italian city. The measure applies in the summer season, for 60 days until the end of July, and is aimed exclusively at visitors who do not stay overnight in Venice, in the context of the increasing pressure exerted by mass tourism.
According to the updated regulation, those who make their reservation at least three days in advance benefit from a reduced rate of only 5 euros, while people staying in the city are exempt from the entrance tax, but have the obligation to pay the local tourist tax related to each night of their stay, notes visit-venice-italy.
The measure, considered both necessary and controversial, was initially introduced as a pilot project, but was extended as it entered its third year of operation. If in the summer season of 2024 the tax was applied for only 29 days, the authorities decided to extend the period in an attempt to temper the increased number of visitors.
Official data shows that last year more than 720,000 one-day tourists passed through the city’s gates, generating revenues of approximately 5.4 million euros. However, many visitors have managed to avoid paying the “access fee” due to sporadic controls, which has fueled the debate over the measure’s real effectiveness.
The funds collected are intended to manage tourism more efficiently and maintain the infrastructure of the city, a unique space in the world with its canals, historic buildings, St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge.
Despite its stated intentions, critics say the new system doesn’t deter over-tourism or solve the fundamental problems facing the city.
Currently, only about 50,000 inhabitants still live in the historic center of Venice, a figure smaller than the number of beds made available by the accommodation structures.
