Venice's tourist entry fee proves no deterrent as thousands flock in

On Friday, the second day of the pilot programme for registering visits to Venice, more than 23,000 tourists from various corners of the globe entered the city's historic centre. The ticket price did not deter them.

Each tourist paid a fee of about £5, which some media called a tourist deterrent. That is how much it costs to enter the tourist city in the north of Italy. The local authorities provided such information. Importantly, this fee is charged to people who do not plan to spend the night in Venice and, therefore, do not intend to use accommodation.

On Thursday, when the new rules came into force, more than 15,000 tourists paid for a one-day stay by the Grand Canal, the most important and well-known canal in Venice. Over two days since the introduction of the new rules, 38,000 tourists paid for entry to the city on the water. More than 16,000 people were checked during the checks.

According to the authorities' data, about 51,000 people are staying in hotels. These individuals are exempt from the entry fee to the city's historic centre because they pay an additional city tax for their stay.

Every person planning to come to Venice on dates selected by the city authorities through July 14 needs to have a QR code. This code confirms the payment or exemption from it. It can be obtained on the online platform launched by the Venice administration. There is also the option to purchase a special voucher.

In 15 locations in the city, 75 inspectors will be checking entry codes. These inspectors, besides checking codes, also provide information about the new system. They patrol, among other places, near the train station and the parking at Piazzale Roma.