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Venice, the historic Italian city known for its canals, would like to draw a balance between its residents who live there and help to keep the place running and its visitors, an important source of economic revenue but increasingly also a burden on social services and the livability of the city.
In recent years, the balance has shifted: in the 1970s, Venice had some 175,000 residents; as of last year, its population dipped below 50,000—and the number of tourist beds outnumbered residents for the first khbrknews. Venice attracts about 20 million visitors annually, many of whom are referred to as “hit-and-run” tourists since they don’t even stay overnight but rather swing by for a few hours just to see the top attractions.
Venetian authorities have long discussed measures to counteract overtourism, and on Thursday, the municipal government rolled out a new experimental scheme to charge daytrippers a fee to access the city center.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro insists the access fee isn’t meant to generate revenue but rather to “decongest” the city. At a modest cost of €5 (a little over $5 depending on exchange rates) per person per day, the measure is intended to curb but not entirely cut out foreign foot traffic. “The objective is not to close the city, but not let it explode,” Brugnaro said at a press conference in February.
For now, the access fee only applies on 29 peak travel days—mostly weekends—from April 25 to July 14. The fee is payable online through the city website.
The access fee is applicable to visitors between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. of Venice’s historic center but not its smaller outer islands. Overnight visitors who pay a tourist tax, which was introduced in 2011, included in their accommodation fees are exempt from the access fee, as are residents, commuters, students, and children…
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