Home industry travel-and-hospitality Venice's Temporary Tourist Entrance Fee Generates €2.4 Million
Travel And Hospitality
CIO Bulletin
2024-07-24
City officials hail the success of the 29-day experiment aimed at managing tourist influx, hinting at potential future implementations.
Venice, Italy (CNN) - Venice has reported a significant windfall from its experimental tourist entrance fee, aimed at regulating visitor numbers to the iconic city. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro announced that the 29-day initiative, which required a €5 reservation fee, exceeded expectations by generating €2,425,310 (approximately $2.64 million).
Initially projected to raise €700,000 (about $762,163), the program saw 3,618,114 individuals making reservations, with exemptions granted to various groups including hotel guests, workers, students, and residents. The scheme also waived fees for attendees of cultural events and religious activities, contributing to the overall visitor count.
According to city data, Saturdays emerged as the preferred day for tourists, while attendance during the experimental period did not surpass peak levels observed in previous years. Mayor Brugnaro expressed satisfaction with the results, indicating a future review of the collected data to inform potential future implementations of similar measures.
Local residents noted a noticeable reduction in crowd size during the trial period, particularly leading up to the Redeemer Festival. The success of the initiative has prompted officials to consider reinstating the fee during peak tourist seasons, though no specific timeline has been set.
The entrance fee initiative comes amidst other challenges for Venice, including ongoing controversies involving city officials and allegations of corruption related to major development projects.
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