Planning to travel abroad? THIS popular tourist destination will now charge you for entry

In a rare step to control over-tourism, a pilot programme has been launched by the Italian city of Venice according to which the day-trippers will be charged an entry fee of €5 (around $5.35).

The authorities hope that the entry fee will discourage visitors from coming on peak days and turn the city into a more livable place for its dwindling number of residents.

The authorities have placed signs which inform the visitors regarding the new requirement for a test phase of 29 days across July. The signs have been placed outside the main train station and other important points of arrival.

Meanwhile, the authorities have trained some 200 stewards to politely inform anyone who is not aware of the fees and the process of downloading a QR code. 

The authorities have also set up a kiosk for those who are not equipped with a smartphone. Once the tourists cross the designated entry ports, officials will conduct random checks for QR codes which show that the day-tripper tax has been paid or that they have exempted the bearer.

A fine of €50 ($53) to €300 ($321) will be imposed on the transgressors. The entry fee is applicable only to people who are entering the city between 8:30 am and 4 pm. Those who wish to enter Venice outside of those hours are not required to pay any fees. 

Venice’s tourism official, Simone Venturini said, “We need to find a new balance between the tourists and residents. We need to safeguard the spaces of the residents, of course, and we need to discourage the arrival of day-trippers on some particular days.”

The move was supported by the city’s council executive just weeks after Venice was recommended by the UN cultural agency UNESCO to be included in its list of world heritage in danger, especially because of the negative impact of mass tourism. 

Watch: Venice to charge tourists an entry fee to avoid overcrowding

For years, the authorities in Venice have sought to ease the pressure of the increasing number of tourists who reach Venice to see sights, which include St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge.

Repeatedly, the ticketing plan has been postponed as concerns were raised that it is likely to seriously affect tourist revenue and compromise people’s freedom of movement.

(With inputs from agencies)