VENICE: Tourists looking to explore the iconic Italian lagoon city of Venice will have to pay a €5 (US$5.40) admission fee on certain days in the future if they do not stay overnight, the municipal council decided on Tuesday, reported German news agency (dpa).
The scheme is set to start in the spring of 2024 and will initially apply on the busiest 30 days for visitors, with the idea that tourists choose to visit on less popular days. The exact dates have not been fixed yet.
The city on Italy’s northeastern coast – one of the biggest tourist destinations worldwide – currently has less than 50,000 permanent residents, but during the high season, the city sometimes hosts more than twice as many tourists.
The huge numbers of visitors, especially those arriving on cruise ships and only staying for a few hours to explore the city, have been causing major problems for years.
However, plans to introduce an entrance fee are also controversial among residents and a decision had been postponed several times.
According to the current plan, visitors without a ticket could be fined between €50 and €300. – BERNAMA-dpa
