Venice Hikes Tourist Tax In Bid To Curb Overcrowding

The Venice officials announced on Monday that they are increasing their day-tripper admission charge from €5 (£4.20) to €10 (£8.30) but only for the people who book less than four days in advance. The city will crack down on tourists by blocking additional days, raising prices, and enforcing harsh penalties for noncompliance.

Targeting the busiest tourism months of April, May, June, and July, the Italian lagoon city will now designate 54 days when visitors will have to pay in advance for a ticket to enter Venice, up from 29 last year. On blocked dates, visitors arriving between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM will be required to purchase an access pass in advance or pay fines of between 50 and 300 euros at random checkpoint inspections.

Also Read: To Wi-Fi Or Not To Wi-Fi On A Plane? Pros And Cons Of Using Internet At 30,000 Feet

Venice officials maintain that the action is intended to "control tourism flow" and "protect the uniqueness of the city," but disgruntled tourists and business owners view it as just another ploy to extract money from visitors without providing any real answers to the city's overcrowding problems.

Last year, Venice implemented a first-of-its-kind admission charge to reduce the number of "hit-and-run" visitors who come to the city for a few hours but don't remain overnight.

The scheme is being closely watched as destinations around the world grapple with huge numbers of tourists, who boost the local economy but risk overwhelming local communities and damaging fragile ecosystems and historical sites.

Also Read: 3 Places In World That Will Pay You To Shift There Permanently

Venice sees scores of tourists every year. 

Simone Venturini, the city's tourism councillor, confirmed a flood of interest particularly from other destinations struggling with the same problem. “We confirm that several institutional bodies, both in Italy and internationally, have contacted the City of Venice to gain a deeper understanding of the [fee],” a spokesperson told Business Insider.

Venice, spread over more than 100 small islands and islets in northeastern Italy, was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1987, but the numbers of people seeking to experience the city are widely considered to be unsustainable.

Also Read: Want To Live In Italy? You Can Own A House For Just 1 Euro (Rs 90). Check Details

At peak times, 100,000 visitors stay overnight in the historic centre of Venice, double the resident population of just 50,000. Tens of thousands more pour into the city's narrow streets for the day to see famous sights such as St Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge.

Recently, UNESCO warned of putting Venice on its list of heritage sites in danger, citing mass tourism as well as rising water levels in its lagoon attributed to climate change. Venice escaped the ignominy only after local authorities agreed on the new ticketing system.

For the time being, there is no ceiling on the number of day tickets -- downloaded in the form of a QR code from a website.