Venice, a representative tourist city in Italy that was plagued by so-called “over-tourism,” will receive admission fees for the world’s first one-day tourists from the 25th (local time). Venice was reported to have attracted more than 20 million visitors last year alone. As the entire city turned into a huge tourist set, Venetian authorities finally took measures to solve the problem.
This measure will be implemented for a total of 29 days, starting with the day of Italy’s liberation anniversary, and focusing on Italian holidays and weekends from April to July this year. As a result, tourists who do not stay in Venice and visit on a day trip will have to pay 5 euros as an admission fee to the city.
The city government plans to deploy inspectors at major locations where people carry Venice, such as Santa Lucia Station, to randomly check tourists. If a person is caught for failing to pay admission fees, he or she will be fined 50-300 euros.
However, there are different opinions on whether the 5 euro admission fee is enough to curb the number of tourists. Italian news agency ANSA reported that there is also a mockery that Venice has become Disneyland in that it charges admission fees just like a movie theater or amusement park.
If you pay the admission fee according to the guide on the official website, you can download the QR code. Free QR codes will be issued to tourists who stay more than one night.
Residents of Venice’s historical district, those who visit for reasons such as work, study, and medical care, residents of Venice, teenagers under the age of 14, and the disabled are also excluded from the admission fee.
The city government plans to charge admission fees on holidays and weekends to encourage tourists to visit on quiet weekdays to disperse crowds. No admission fee is charged during the off-season in winter.
“It is an experiment that has never been attempted anywhere in the world,” Venetian Mayor Luigi Bruno said. “Our goal is to make Venice more livable.”
Meanwhile, the British daily Guardian reported that Venice was the first major city in the world to introduce admission fees, and other cities struggling with overtourism are closely watching.
For citizens suffering from over-tourism, we will have to see if the city admission fee helps their lives. It is a tourist city, but rather, it is necessary to check whether there will be side effects due to a decrease in the number of tourists.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
