Photo: PixabayFrom January 2023, tourists who want to spend a day in Venice will have to pay an entrance fee, confirmed the competent city authorities.
In order to protect themselves from a large number of visitors and discourage day trippers, the city authorities have decided to charge up to 10 euros for tourists from January 1 next year.
For years, the city has been struggling with the problem of a large number of visitors and tourists who produce mountains of waste and clog the narrow city streets, especially in the height of the tourist season, writes rts.rs.
It is not that they will have to pay an entrance fee, but visitors will have to book an appointment online in advance, which, depending on the time of year, will cost them from three to 10 euros. Inspectors will patrol the town and will have the power to demand proof of payment from visitors. Anyone who has not paid the required amount online will be fined up to 300 euros.
The money collected from the tickets will be used to reduce the garbage collection bills paid by Venetians, which are significantly higher than in neighboring Italian cities.
Residents, their guests and tourists who book an overnight stay at the hotel will be exempt and will be able to download a certificate proving that they are exempt from paying.
Other cities affected by mass tourism will also closely monitor whether Venice's pioneering venture will bear fruit.
Simona Venturini, the city's head of tourism, told a news conference that the measure was "truly revolutionary," but warned that adjustment time was needed to make the system work perfectly.
"It's a process. As the first city in the world to introduce this practice, we know that not everything will work perfectly. We do not think that this will solve all the problems of excessive tourism, nor that we have a magic solution. We will constantly work on improving the system," Venturini emphasized.
Michele Cuin, head of the city budget, notes that the purpose of the fee is to discourage a large number of visitors during the season, in order to achieve a better flow of tourism. "The city remains open. "Venice is not closed," Cuin emphasized.
Source: rts.rs
