Venice debuts booking platform ahead of €5 entry fee launch in April
Venice has debuted the booking platform ahead of the launch of its €5 entry fee, which is scheduled to come into effect in the spring.
Day visitors will be required to use the platform to book their visit to the historic lagoon city and pay a €5 (£4.30) fee, which will be payable on certain days of the year.
The €5 tariff will be trialled on 29 designated days this year – 25 April to 5 May; 11-12, 18-19 and 25-26 May; 8-9,15-16, 22-23, 29-30 June; and 6-7 and 13-14 July. It will apply to visits between 8.30am and 4pm.
Upon payment, the platform will generate a QR code, which will serve as proof of payment and allow authorities to streamline visitor flows.
Greenlit in September 2023 as a way to combat mass tourism and preserve Venice’s charm, the fee will apply to all day tourists aged 14 and above. Overnight visitors will be exempt.
The rollout comes ahead of the city council’s move to ban tourist groups larger than 25 people from 1 June as part of the same set of objectives.
Despite being hailed by the council, the measures have been criticised by citizen groups and campaigners who argue they will not make a significant difference to Venice’s overtourism problem.
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