Venice to trial admission fee, visitor limit from April 2024: Analysis

Venice, Italy, will implement a trial admission fee and daily visitor limit in its overcrowded center starting in April 2022. This initiative, described as a global first by Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, aims to manage the flow of tourists during peak seasons. Under the scheme, day visitors will be charged five euros ($5.45) between 8:30 am and 4 pm from April 25 to May 5, as well as remaining weekends in May and June and the first two weekends of July. Travelers will need to book their visit online and acquire a QR code, which will be checked at specific entry points to grant access to the historic quarters. The restrictions will not apply to smaller islands like Murano. This move comes after years of discussion on how to regulate the millions of tourists that visit Venice, causing concerns about the city’s ability to handle the influx of visitors and its vulnerability to flooding. The implementation of the ticketing plan is a response to a warning from UNESCO that Venice could be designated as an at-risk world heritage site. While residents, students, and workers in Venice will be exempt from the scheme, failure to comply with the new measures will result in fines of 50 to 310 euros ($54 to $340). Mayor Brugnaro hopes that this trial could serve as a model for other delicate cities that require protection.

Source: Aljazeera news: Venice to trial admission fee, visitor limit from April 2024