Venice’s Entrance Fee App Completes Trial Phase

Ovgu Pinar/ Roma

The trial phase of the 5 euro “footfall fee” implemented in Venice, Italy, to protect against the effects of mass tourism has ended.

The Venice municipality launched the entrance fee project, which has been debated for years, last April. 29 days expected to be busy, such as weekends, were determined between April 25 and July 14, and daily entrances to the city center were charged on these days.

According to local media calculations, approximately 440,000 people, excluding those exempt from the fee, entered the city for the day during this period, and a total income of around 2.2 million euros was generated.

The 5 euro entrance fee was paid by visitors who went to Venice between 08:30 and 16:00 on the specified dates but did not stay there. Certain categories such as children under 14, local residents or those working and studying in the city were exempted from the fee. Also, those staying in accommodation facilities such as hotels in Venice did not pay an entrance fee to the city because they already pay a tourist tax.

On the other hand, the fact that groups exempt from the fee have to register on a platform and present documents at checkpoints in the city has caused confusion and reactions regarding the process. There are also those who argue that the practice violates the principle of privacy.

Some associations founded by city residents also opposed the practice, arguing that the entrance fee would turn Venice into an amusement park and would not solve the main problems.

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said, “The purpose of the entrance fee is to make the city livable for residents, workers, students and tourists,” but according to press reports, it did not make a difference in terms of tourist numbers during the trial period.

It can become permanent

“It is unclear what advantages the measure could bring in terms of reducing crowds from tourists. Data confirms a high tourist flow, similar to other periods when no payment is foreseen,” news site Il Post wrote.

There are also questions about how the fee collected from daily visitors will be spent. Although the municipality has made promises to the city’s people such as tax breaks and urban investments that will reduce the impact of mass tourism, there is no clear project on this issue yet.

Mayor Brugnaro also acknowledged some of the difficulties they faced during the trial phase and said, “We will try to overcome them step by step.”

The entrance fee is planned to be implemented permanently from next year after a trial phase ended yesterday. According to the Italian press, entrance fees could double during peak periods in the future, and entrances to the city could be restricted on days when tourist numbers peak.

The population of Venice, which was 175,000 in the early 1950s, fell below the 50,000 called “critical threshold” in 2022. It is estimated that nearly 30 million tourists visit the city annually, including day visitors.