Italy Venice to Charge Entrance Fees to Tourists Starting Next Year

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Starting next year, access to the Italian tourist city of Venice will be restricted if an excessive number of tourists gather.

On the 5th (local time), the daily Telegraph reported that Venice plans to implement the long-delayed 'tourist control system' starting next year.

Earlier, the Italian local media La Stampa reported that a series of measures to control the number of tourists, such as advance reservations and entrance fees, will be applied from next summer in Venice.

According to the plan, Venice will install turnstiles at the main entrances of the city, allowing only tourists with a specific application and QR code to enter.

The application or QR code will be automatically issued to tourists staying at hotels for one night or more, but day-trippers will have to pay a separate fee to download it.

During the off-season, a fee of 3 euros (approximately 4,120 KRW) per person will be charged, and during the peak season, 10 euros (approximately 13,740 KRW) will be required.

Additionally, the control room will monitor the number and location of tourists to assess which parts of the city are congested, and once the 'tourist capacity limit' is reached, access will be restricted at the entrances.

Venice has long struggled with congestion caused by the large number of tourists flocking to its narrow streets and has been seeking solutions to control it.

In 2019, the city council approved a plan to charge tourists an entrance fee, but its implementation was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After flooding damage caused by high tides at the end of 2019, Venice has recently begun to revive as tourists return.

Luigi Brugnaro, mayor of Venice, stated, "We can no longer handle such a large number of tourists," adding, "From now on, you will need a reservation to visit Venice."

Regarding criticism that the city is trying to extract more money from tourists, he rebutted, saying, "Implementing the system requires a large amount of money."

City councilor Simone Venturini explained the background of the system's introduction, saying, "We want to see tourists who truly enjoy Venice, not those who just rush to and from Piazza San Marco."

However, opinions on this plan are divided.

Dario Franceschini, Italy's Minister of Culture, expressed opposition, saying, "When I think of turnstiles, I think of airports, not cities."

A local citizen said, "We experienced how unhappy it is without tourists over the past 18 months," adding, "We Venetians have learned to live with crowds."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.