As of today, an entrance ticket is required for a day in Venice

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AFPPreparations at a ticket sales counter in Venice

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 04:31

Tourists who want to visit the Italian city of Venice must pay an entrance fee for the first time today. A ticket costs five euros. The measure is a trial and applies on the 29 busiest days of the year.

Venice attracts millions of visitors every year, mainly day trippers. By charging an entrance fee, the municipality hopes to reduce the number of tourists on the busiest days.

The ticket can be purchased online or in the city. People who stay overnight do not have to buy a ticket: they already pay tourist tax for their stay. Residents and their visitors are also excluded.

Mass tourism

Venice has been trying to curb the number of tourists for years. The many visitors raise concerns about the quality of life in the ancient city. The number of inhabitants has been declining for years. Just after the war, 150,000 people still lived in the historic center, but that number has now fallen to less than 50,000.

Charging an entrance fee is not the only measure the municipality takes. From this summer, groups may not exceed 25 people. The use of loudspeakers is also prohibited. Large cruise ships, which were often seen in the port city until a few years ago, have had to moor outside the center since 2021.

AFPEA cruise ship sails through Venice in 2019

There has been long discussion about the introduction of the day ticket. Critics wondered whether a five-euro ticket is expensive enough to stop tourists. A city councilor said last year that the ticket is also intended to entice day trippers to come on a quieter day.