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by Mick the Ram
A new ruling is set to shake up the tourist trade in the Italian city of Venice. Anybody choosing to visit as a day-tripper, excluding those who live in the local Veneto region, will be required to pay a charge of five euros, if there stay is between the hours of 8am and 4pm.
Overnight stays do not come into the equation due to the fact that a tax will have already been added to their bill of accommodation. Nevertheless, they will be need to register their presence to request an exemption to the fee.
In essence, anybody entering Venice on dates that the fee is being charged will have to either carry a ticket or have about them an valid exemption. The only people that that can escape either paying the fee or undertaking a registration will be those who are residents of the city, or those who were actually born there.
Starting on 25 April, the charge will be in place on peak weekends and other days for 29 specified days, up to 14 July. This is effectively a pilot scheme, and on the completion of the trial period, the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, will review the feedback on the project and make a decision moving forward.
Naturally there have been lots of opposition, with many protest marches planned near the city entry points.
This ruling is ahead of a another new limit that is being introduced in June, which will see tourist groups visiting the city, reduced to a maximum of 25 people, in an effort to reduce the pressure of mass tourism in the centre.
Next step after ship ban
UNESCO and other environmentalists have been putting pressure on the city’s authorities with regards to overcrowding and got a response when the city relented and banned big cruise ships from sailing past St Mark’s Square and on through the Giudecca canal.
They will see this latest move as a further positive step to easing growing damage to its delicate ecosystem.
Advisors offering assistance
There were plenty of signs on show advising arriving visitors of the new €5 fee outside the main railway station and other points of arrival, on the opening day of the trial.
Around 200 stewards are on hand to offer assistance to people unaware of the new charge and explain the process of downloading a QR code, with a dedicated booth set up for those not equipped with a smartphone.
Random checks are are expected to be carried out with fines of between €50 and €300 understood to be likely for anyone transgressing.
Over 100,000 register on opening day
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office announced that 113,000 visitors registered for the first day, with in the region of 80,000 of those doing so in advance and roughly ten percent actually paying the fee.
Of the exemptions, approaching 40,000 were hotel guests, with a further 4,000 being family or friends of residents. The council confirmed that they had inspected the credentials of nearly 14,000 individuals.
Protests making a point
Locals are not overly impressed, with hundreds participating in a protest at Piazzale Roma, the entry point by road to the city. A smaller protest took place near the train station with Venetians confronting the mayor on the matter.
Ruggero Tallon, one of the main protest organizers said they were against the mayor’s idea of a closed city, calling it a “medieval tax” and saying it was “against freedom of movement.” They also pointed out that with 49,000 inhabitants, there were actually more beds for tourists than for residents.”
Action has been needed
The need is for more incentives to encourage visitors to stay longer by offering greater hotel discounts. In June, the new group reduction plan will kick in, as will the use of loudspeakers, just a couple of other moves designed to make a visit more comfortable and appealing.
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