by Joke Vereecken
published on Thursday April 25, 2024 to 18:06 •
2 min read
Today, on April 25, Venice will charge a sum of 5 euros for the first time to day trippers who want to visit the historic city. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro announced this as part of an experiment to limit the flow of tourists and keep the city livable.
Why is this important?
The initiative stems from concerns about the declining quality of life in Venice. The city, once a bustling center, now has only 50,000 inhabitants in the historic city center, while the number of tourists can reach up to 100,000 per day during the high season. This puts heavy pressure on local infrastructure and makes daily life difficult for residents.How does it work? The entrance fee will only be charged on pre-selected busy days and during peak hours, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tourists must buy their ticket online, but there is no limit on the number of tickets sold per day. This makes it more of a tax than an entrance ticket. The control will be ‘soft’, with only random checks and exceptions for children under the age of 14 and tourists staying in a hotel.
Criticism
However, not everyone is enthusiastic about the initiative. Various residents’ committees and associations have already announced their protest. They argue that the entrance fee will not solve the problem and will rather turn the city into an ‘amusement park’.
Venice is the first major city in the world to introduce such a system. The experiment runs from April 25 to July 14. The coming months will show whether the experiment pays off.
Tags: Venice introduce entrance fees day trippers today Mayor Brugnaro reveals details
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