Venice in the fight against mass tourism: a new entry tax for visitors

Venice is an amazing city with a unique charm. Every year, millions of visitors are eager to see this magical city. However, the rapid growth of tourist flows is becoming a serious problem for this famous place. The overloaded infrastructure and the negative impact on the environment have forced the authorities to make a decision: from spring 2024, an entry tax will be introduced for tourists who come to the city only for a day or a tour, in order to reduce the number of visitors.

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said that the introduction of the tax is a pilot project that is expected to help relieve pressure on the city and encourage tourists to visit on less busy days. It is an attempt to find a balance between Venice's residents, students, workers and tourists who come for a few days.

The experimental period of the entry tax consists of 29 days, starting from April 25 to May 5, and on weekends in May, June and July. Tourists can buy a ticket in the form of a QR code on the multilingual online platform cda.ve.it, which provides all the necessary information about the innovation.

Payment of the €5 entry tax to Venice is available from 8:30 to 16:00. It is necessary to pay the tax for tourists over 14 years old . The received qr-code will be the main document of the tourist and will be checked at any point of the city. Violation of this rule entails a fine of 50 to 300 euros and double the tax.

Visits to smaller islands including the Venetian Lido, Pellestrina, Murano, Burano, Torcello, Sant'Erasmo and others remain free. Tourists passing by Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto or Maritim without visiting the old town are exempt. Tourists staying overnight and paying the local lodging tax are also exempt from the tax. But they still need to register on the portal cda.ve.it to get an individual QR code.

At the end of the experiment the final decision will be made - whether to introduce the entry tax or not. Perhaps it will help to balance the number of tourists and improve the life and environment for local residents.