Italy: In 2024, tourists visiting Venice for just one day during high season will pay a tax

Venice’s town hall unveiled on Thursday 29 days in 2024 when it will apply a new 5-euro tax aimed at tourists coming for just one day to the Doge’s City, which has fallen victim to mass tourism.

The first dates, focused on the high tourist season, go from April 25 to May 5, then it will be the turn of the weekends in May (11 and 12, 18 and 19, 25 and 26), June (8 and 9). , 15 and 16, 22 and 23, 29 and 30), as well as two weekends in July (6 and 7, 13 and 14).

This tax, the introduction of which has been postponed several times, applies only to tourists entering the old city between 8:30 and 16:00 local time, a press release from the mayor’s office clarifies.

“The first step in the system for regulating visitor access during the daytime”

“This is not a revolution, but the first step in a system that regulates the access of same-day visitors,” explained Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, quoted in the press release. “This is an experiment to improve the quality of life in the city for those who live there and for those who work there,” he said.

“The margin for error is significant, but we are prepared (…) to make any necessary changes to improve the procedure. Venice is the first city in the world to implement this system, which can serve as an example for other fragile and delicate cities that need to be saved,” said Luigi Brugnaro.

The main goal of the project, announced in September, is to discourage day-trippers who contribute to congestion in a city known around the world for its art, bridges and canals.

The city of Venice narrowly avoided being included on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in Danger in mid-September. However, at the end of July, UNESCO experts recommended classifying Venice as “endangered” – a jewel threatened by overtourism and global warming – due to “insufficient” measures taken in Italy to combat the site’s deterioration.