Venice will finally look to implement its much-discussed fee for day visitors next year on a trial basis after initially postponing it.
The fee, which will cost EUR 5 (USD 5) per person, will be imposed on all travellers over 14 years old who come to the famous canal city for the day, Reuters reported, citing the city council. The fee will be implemented on a trial basis mainly during spring bank holidays and summer weekends when the city is at its most crowded.
The exact date of when the trial will go into effect was not immediately clear.
Venice to charge day trip fee from 2024
Venice tourism councillor Simone Venturini told the wire service the goal is to find “a new balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice and those who visit the city.”
Venice first floated the idea of a visitor fee for day-trippers in 2019, but the passage was delayed, in part, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city then looked to implement it in 2022 before delaying it again until 2023 and then postponing it once more.
Overnight visitors who currently book a hotel stay are already subject to a different tax.
The day tax is being implemented in an effort to prevent over-tourism in a city known as a bucket list destination for many who visit Italy. In fact, Reuters noted tourists often outnumber residents.
In the last several years, Venice has made efforts to preserve its unique attributes, including declaring the waterways around the city a “national monument” and banning large cruise ships from passing through its canals. The measures earned the city a temporary reprieve from being included on the UNESCO World Heritage danger list.
However, last month, UNESCO once again recommended adding the city to the list, calling the efforts “currently insufficient and not detailed enough.”
Beyond the city of Venice, travellers to Europe also will have to pay an extra fee next year when the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) goes into effect. That fee will cost EUR 7 (USD 7.5) and be valid for three years or until the expiration date of someone’s travel document.
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(Hero and feature image credit: Patrick Donovan/Getty Images)
This story first appeared on travelandleisure.com
Related: UNESCO Recommends Adding Venice To Its ‘In Danger’ List — Here’s Why
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