Beginning Thursday, day visitors to Venice were required to pay an entrance fee as the city rolled out its much-discussed tourist levy.
Travelers eager to explore the picturesque Italian city were obliged to pay €5 ($5.36) per person at the train station. Originally proposed in 2019 but postponed multiple times, the fee will initially be enforced for 29 days, covering most weekends through mid-July.
Simone Venturini, Venice’s top tourism official, emphasized the need to strike a new balance between tourists and residents. “We need to find a new balance between the tourists and residents,” he told The Associated Press. “We need to safeguard the spaces of the residents, of course, and we need to discourage the arrival of day-trippers on some particular days.”
Signs prominently displayed at Venice’s main train station on Thursday indicated the dates when the fee would be applicable, with separate entrances designated for tourists, residents, students, and workers.
The fee applies to travelers aged 14 and above from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and can be paid online. Day visitors who prepay receive a QR code, which they must present to officials at Venice’s main access points.
To assist tourists unfamiliar with the new regulations, stewards were reportedly available on Thursday to facilitate the process of downloading the QR code and making payments.
Overnight visitors are exempt from the day fee but must apply online for an exemption. However, overnight guests who book hotel accommodations are already subject to a different tax.
This fee represents the latest initiative by the city to combat overtourism. In January, Venice announced plans to limit tour groups to a maximum of 25 people, applicable to the historic center as well as the popular islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello.
These measures follow UNESCO’s decision to once again spare Venice from its list of world heritage sites in danger, despite recommendations to include it.