When Venice implemented a five euro entrance fee in April, the intention was to discourage day-trippers from visiting during peak times to alleviate the strain on the city’s residents and resources. The fee was part of an effort to address the challenges faced by the city’s inhabitants due to sharing space with a high influx of tourists.
According to Luigi Brugnaro, Venice’s mayor, the fee was deemed successful in managing the tourist flow. He stated, “We are convinced that we limited some peaks,” acknowledging the positive impact of the measure.
However, during a recent news conference, city officials indicated that a more comprehensive analysis of the data was required to determine the full extent of the experiment’s effectiveness in the initial phase.
Specifically targeting 29 peak dates between April and mid-month, including national holidays and weekends, the entrance fee was imposed on single-day visitors arriving in Venice between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., amounting to €5 (approximately $5.50).
Statistics revealed that the entrance fee was paid 485,000 times during the specified period, resulting in a revenue of €2.43 million for the city. Mayor Brugnaro expressed surprise at the amount collected, as initial estimates had projected around €700,000.
