Venice’s Entrance Fee Is Delayed Until 2023

With its unique canals and striking architecture, it’s no wonder that Venice sees thousands of tourists each day. In fact, before COVID-19 shut down travel, Venice saw up to 110,000 tourists per day. To put things into perspective, the current resident population of Venice is 50,000.

Local officials in Venice announced an entry fee for arriving tourists, which was originally scheduled to take effect in June. However, the entry fee has now been postponed until January of next year.

According to EuroNews.com, Venice approved the tourist tax as a way to help curb the “overwhelming number of daytrippers” who visit the city, as well as make up for the financial losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

When the entry fee goes into effect, travelers visiting Venice will have to pre-book their visit and pay the entrance fee using a dedicated booking app. Prices will vary from around $3 in the offseason to $11 on the busiest days.

The local government also plans to install electronic turnstiles at access points to the city. Officials banned cruise ships from entering the territory last summer and installed a video surveillance system that monitors the flow of tourists through the city’s streets.

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Although tickets will not be required until next year, they will be available for tourists online starting from June 2022.

Simone Venturini, Venice’s tourism councilor, told the local press: “Those who book will receive incentives, such as discounts for entering museums. To determine the access fee, we will set a maximum threshold of 40,000 or 50,000 visitors a day.”

Venice is encouraging slow tourism. Visitors who choose to stay the night will be exempt from the fee, as they are already subject to a tourist tax. Residents, students and commuters will also not have to pay up to enter the city.

In addition to these changes, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee was also considering the possibility of adding Venice to the list of endangered heritage sites.