The city authorities in Venice, Italy have recently introduced new ‘entrance fee’ of approximately €5 ($5.50) for out of town tourists who arrive in the renowned Italian city from 8:30am to 4pm local time. This fee, designed to protect the UNESCO world heritage site from the impacts of excessive tourism, went into effect yesterday as a trial initiative. Visitors can enter for free outside of the specified hours. Those who do not pay the fee may be subject to fines exceeding €280 ($300).
Venice municipal officials have installed warning signs to advise visitors about the recent fee, as city employees have begun conducting random inspections at the five primary entry points. Tourists planning to stay in the city overnight are not required to pay the fee, but must acquire a QR code in order to pass through the checkpoints situated at the main entrances to the city.
New initiative, which aims to decrease congestion during busy times, promote extended stays, and enhance the well-being of residents, has sparked outrage among many Venetians.
On Thursday, hundreds of local residents gathered on the streets to express their discontent with the implementation of an admission charge.
Hundreds of Venetians rioted, clashing with law enforcement officers, and attempting to breach a barrier of police at Piazzale Roma.
The protesters carried banners with messages such as “Reject tickets, support housing and services for everyone,” “Venice is not for sale, it must be protected,” and “Make Venice accessible to all, dismantle the ticket barrier.” Additionally, they held up mock tickets that sarcastically said “Welcome to Veniceland,” symbolizing their opposition to transforming the city into a mere tourist amusement park.
According to the reports, the local branch of Arci, a cultural and social rights association, stated that the measure will not effectively control mass tourism, and would just result in unequal treatment among various groups of visitors. The spokesperson for Arci also questioned the constitutional validity of the measure, particularly in terms of limiting freedom of movement.
A representative from the anti-cruise ship campaign group No Grandi Navi, who is also one of the protest organizers, stated that their efforts are focused on opposing the transformation of the city into a closed-off museum-like environment.
According to the activist, the ticket serves no purpose, as it fails to address the issue of mass tourism, does not alleviate the strain on Venice, resembles an outdated levy, and restricts freedom of movement.
