VENICE will finally impose an entry fee for tourists starting in 2024. Reported by Reuters, Venice plans to apply an entry fee of 5 Euros, or around IDR82 thousand, to regulate the flow of tourists who are attracted to the historic canals there.
This entry fee will be implemented as a 30-day trial next year, with the main focus being on spring break and summer weekends. Because, at that time, the number of tourists reaches its peak and will crowd Venice.
Later, all tourists aged 14 years must pay an entrance fee to Venice. “It aims to find a new balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice, and those who visit the city,” said Council Member for Venice Tourism, Simone Venturini.
“This is not a money-making move, as the fee will only cover the costs of administering the scheme. Although this entry fee has been set to take effect next year, the exact date and manner of implementation will not reach final approval until next week,” he added.
Previously, plans to implement an entrance fee for tourists visiting Venice were first discussed in 2019. However, this plan was postponed due to COVID-19, which made tourists reluctant to come, as well as technical and procedural reasons.
Meanwhile, tourists returned to Venice in numbers far in excess of the 50,000 residents in the city center, filling the city’s narrow alleyways. [kumparan.com/photo special]