Venice becomes first in the world to charge tourists 'to safeguard city'. Check details

Venice on April 26 became the first city in the world to charge tourists in an attempt to alleviate the pressures of mass tourism and make the city more livable for its residents.

In a pilot programme, the city has decided to exact a fee of 5 euros ($5.40) from day-trippers going to Venice, one of Italy’s most picturesque and historic cities.

Signs were erected to warn tourists about the payment programme and municipal workers were seen checking the tickets of day-trippers outside the front of the fragile lagoon city’s Santa Lucia railway station.

The charge applies to tourists arriving between 8:30 am and 4 pm local time, while access is free outside these hours. Those who fail to pay the fee have to pay fines between 50 euros (about $53) and 300 euros (about $322).

Why the move?

The primary reason is to mitigate the negative impacts of overcrowding on Venice's delicate historical sites and to encourage visitors to choose less congested times for visits.

In a public video, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro described this measure as an "experiment" to safeguard the city.

“With courage and great humility we are introducing this system because we want to give a future to Venice and leave this heritage of humanity to future generations,” Brugnaro said in a post on social media platform X (formally Twitter). He added that the rollout was "going well" and "the atmosphere is relaxed."

"We must work to reduce the impact of daily tourism on certain days... (which) generates stress for the city. The whole world would like to visit Venice, and this is an honour for us. But not everyone in the world is able to do so on the exact same day," Simone Venturini, the local councillor responsible for tourism, was quoted by AFP.

The city is overwhelmed by tourists  with around 30 million arrivals each year, a number that dwarfs the 50,000 city residents.

The city was also under pressure from UNESCO, which had threatened to add Venice to its World Heritage in Danger list in 2023.

How to pay

The fee is applicable only on select dates between April 25 and July 14. Tourists planning a day visit to Venice during these dates can prepay the entry fee online. The process involves selecting the visit date, entering the number of visitors, and completing the payment within a 10-minute window. A confirmation document with a QR code is then provided, which can be printed or shown on a smartphone upon entry.

Overnight guests in Venice are exempt from this fee but must apply for an official exemption. Failure to comply can result in fines ranging from $53.63 to $321.77, with additional charges for entry fee. 

So far, there is no cap on the number of tourists, who may reserve a visit on a given day.