Venice is set to introduce a €5 (AU$8) ticketing system for day visitors in the spring of 2024, with the aim of reducing the number of tourists in the historic city centre.
The move comes shortly after UNESCO recommended adding Venice to its list of world heritage sites in danger, largely due to the impacts of mass tourism.
The decision received backing from the city’s council executive, emphasising the necessity of regulating tourist numbers during certain periods without closing the city’s doors entirely, The Guardian reported.
Residents, commuters, students, and children under 14 will be exempt from this fee, as will overnight tourists, according to the local authority.
The primary objective of this initiative is to discourage daily tourism during specific periods, aligning with the city’s fragility and uniqueness.
While this proposal awaits approval from the wider city council, which meets on 12 September, specific details such as ticket availability, remain unclear.
However, the council executive has greenlit a 30-day trial, expected to occur across public holidays and weekends during the spring and summer of 2024.
Simone Venturini, the city’s council member for tourism, believes this system will make Venice a “trailblazer on the global level”.
He emphasised that the proposed €5 fee aims to cover costs rather than create revenue and seeks to strike a new balance between the rights of residents, students, workers, and visitors.
A long time coming
Venice has long grappled with managing the influx of tourists who flock to iconic landmarks such as the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square.
Concerns over the potential impact on tourist revenue and freedom of movement have led to repeated postponements of the ticketing plan.
Two years ago, Venice implemented a ban on large cruise ships, redirecting them to an industrial port to reduce damage caused by large waves that were eroding the city’s foundations and harming the fragile lagoon ecosystem.
Despite these measures, approximately 3.2 million tourists stayed overnight in Venice’s historic centre last year, as reported by official data.
Venice earned its place on UNESCO’s heritage list in 1987 as an “extraordinary architectural masterpiece”.
However, UNESCO has consistently highlighted the need for more sustainable tourism management.
On 31 July, the agency issued a warning that Venice faced “irreversible” damage due to various issues, including the climate crisis and mass tourism.
UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee will discuss including Venice on the list of world heritage sites in danger in Saudi Arabia in September.
