Venice’s experiment with charging an admission fee to the city for day-trippers has ended for the year, with proponents hailing its success and opponents calling it a failure.
Both sides agree that on some days fewer visitors entered the city, although no one called it a significant change. The €5 fee was in effect on 29 peak days between April 25 and July 14.
Simone Venurini, the city councilor in charge of tourism and a major advocate for the system, told press that “On some weekends there were less people than the same time last year… but no one expected that all the day trippers would miraculously disappear… It will be more effective in the coming years when we increase the number of days and lift the price.” If, that is, the city agrees to continue the plan and raise the price.
An opposition councilor, though, said “It has been a total failure. The city is still packed with tourists,” and added that once visitors realized the city wasn’t enforcing the rule with fines, evasion became widespread. He proposed instead a booking system that would limit the number of slots available each day without charging a fee that would fall most heavily on lower-income families.
I was in Venice in early May for 8 nights. Prior to arriving I needed to complete a form showing my dates. I had it on my phone and printed a copy. When I arrived at Marco Polo Airport, no one asked to see it. During my visit I went all over the city and other islands. Not once was I asked for ID.