Venice Becomes World’s First City to Make Tourist Pay Entry Fee to Tackle ‘Overtourism’

Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. Venice, which is visited by many tourists, has taken a different step in the history of world travel. Tourists coming to Venice will have to pay an entrance fee from January 16 next year. The fee is levied to control the traffic in the city. Venice, known as the Lagoon City of Italy, has become the first city in the world to take such a decision.

Once the law comes into effect, tourists will have to book in advance before visiting the Italian city. Depending on the criteria, the entry fee will be between three Euros (about Rs. 250) to ten Euros (about Rs. 820). Another important point is that not all tourists visiting Venice will have to pay this amount. Children and differently-abled persons are exempted from this.

Householders, those coming for medical treatment, those coming to visit relatives, and those coming to participate in cultural or sports events will not have to pay the fee. Those who stay overnight in the hotel will not have to pay the entry fee separately. They have to pay tourist tax when they pay for the hotel room.

According to CNN, the tourism councilor of the city, Simone Venturini, said that this would be a solution to the overcrowding of tourists that Venice has been facing for a long time. Controlling the rush of tourists has become a major challenge. Simon said that he thought of taking such a decision in this situation. “Venice is also a city where people live. And it should be kept that way,” he added.

Decisions will be taken after detailed discussions on how the booking system should be. More information on this will come out in the coming months. “This is not a way to make money. It’s just a mechanism to control the number of tourists,” said Michele Suin, the city’s budget council.

All the plans of this system are prepared under the leadership of the city councillors. They have made it clear that those who violate the law without paying the entry fee will be fined. Staying in the city without paying the entry fee will be fined. Violators will be fined between 50 Euros (roughly Rs. 4100) and 300 Euros (roughly Rs. 24700). The money collected from entry fees and fines is intended to be used to reduce taxes on the citizens of Venice.