Venice to start charging day trippers up to $11.73 to enter the historic city

Venice is set to impose an entry fee for visitors to prevent huge numbers of tourists descending on the city.

Italian newspaper La Stampa reported that measures designed to control the city’s large influx of daytrippers will include requirements for visitors to book in advance, pay a fee and enter the city via electronic turnstiles. The plan is set to be imposed in the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2022. The entry fee is reportedly set to be between 3 and 10 euros ($3.52 and $11.73), dependent on the season. Lawmakers approved the package of restrictions earlier this month however, the measures were originally intended to be launched in 2019. But according to Italian media, the package has been postponed due to COVID-19. Previously, up to 80,000 people a day visited the historic Italian city but during the height of the pandemic, tourism came to a grinding halt and the locals noticed a visible change to the environment, even spotting dolphins in the now clear waters. Venice has struggled with over tourism for decades with large crowds causing congestion in the city’s narrow streets and creating traffic on its waterways. Earlier this year, a plan to halt large cruise ships from sailing into the centre of Venice was approved and now all ships must berth at a location outside of the city. In 2017, about 2000 residents protested against the impact over-tourism was having on their city.