Starting in April 2024, the Italian city of Venice plans to better regulate the tourist industry, ease congestion, and make life a little easier for its residents.
The city will begin a modest surcharge on people who are only visiting for the day.
For those who aren’t staying overnight in the city proper, Venice plans to charge 5 euros apiece to visit the city on peak weekends. That nets out to about $5.45 in U.S. dollars apiece.
Officials unveiled some details about the long-rumored plan on Thursday.
The goal is to better regulate tourism in the city of canals, which many say are sinking.
The rollout of what is being called the Tourist Contribution Program is a factor in keeping the city off the United Nations UNESCO list of most endangered cities.
Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro would not call it a tourist tax. Rather, he said, it was a beta plan to incentivize tourists to visit the city on off-peak days.
“Our attempt is to make a more livable city,” he said.
The fee will be imposed for a total of 29 days between April and mid-July during the peak hour windows of 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. The fee is waived if you come in after those hours for dinner or to attend the theater. The fee is also waived for residents, students, workers and those who are staying at a hotel in the city.
There will be a special website created for your visit, and you must download a QR Code in order to visit.
Tourists outnumber residents in the popular Italian city.
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