Venice, Italy, is a popular destination for British holidaymakers due to its romantic setting, breathtaking art and architecture, not to mention its fantastic cuisine.
But in 2024 two changes will be made in the north eastern Italian city, designed to curb overtourism and make life better for locals.
These include new tourist taxes and limits on group sizes entering the city.
Last November, it was announced that Venice would be introducing a pilot programme that involved charging day-trippers to visit the city.
Tourists who plan on visiting the beautiful city will be able to book their tickets to visit Venice now via an online payment platform at https://cda.ve.it/it/.
Popular tourist hotspot Venice will undergo two big changes
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Visitors will have to pay a fee of €5 (£4.29) to enter Venice for the day.
The charge will be in place for just 29 days of 2024 – April 25-30, May 1-5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26, June 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30, and July 6, 7, 13 and 14 – between 8:30am and 4pm.
Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro said that the fee has not been designed to generate extra revenue.
Rather, it is a “first-of-its-kind experiment” to regulate tourism in an extremely popular, busy place.
The hope is that the fee will give visitors an incentive to avoid high-traffic periods and come on less popular days. It should also make Venice a more “liveable city” for locals.
The tourist fee comes after Venice barely escaped being placed on UNESCO’s danger list last year because of the damage from overtourism on its ecosystem.
Some people will be exempt, for example those having an overnight stay in Venice accommodation, those participating in a sporting event, workers and students.
Another change being introduced in Venice is a ban on large groups and loudspeakers.
Venice is extremely popular amongst tourists visiting Italy
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From June 1, 2024, groups will be limited to 25 people and loudspeakers will not be used.
The city official charged with security, Elisabetta Pesce, explained that the policies are designed to improve the movement of groups through Venice’s historic centre, in addition to the popular islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello, frequently visited by tourists.
`The initiatives – if approved by the city council – aim to improve the quality of life for the residents workers.
This comes as Greece introduced a climate levy for tourists visiting in the high tourist season.
The money generated from the new fee will be used as a reserve fund for reconstruction efforts following natural disasters.
