Venice on April 26 became the first city in the world to charge tourists in an attempt to alleviate the pressures of mass tourism and make the city more livable for its residents.
In a pilot programme, the city has decided to exact a fee of 5 euros ($5.40) from day-trippers going to Venice, one of Italy’s most picturesque and historic cities.
Signs were erected to warn tourists about the payment programme and municipal workers were seen checking the tickets of day-trippers outside the front of the fragile lagoon city’s Santa Lucia railway station.
The charge applies to tourists arriving between 8:30 am and 4 pm local time, while access is free outside these hours. Those who fail to pay the fee have to pay fines between 50 euros (about $53) and 300 euros (about $322).
Why the move?
The primary reason is to mitigate the negative impacts of overcrowding on Venice’s delicate historical sites and to encourage visitors to choose less congested times for…