After Delays Venice Will Introduce Day Trip Fee In 2024

Venice has been planning a day trip fee for several years now but is finally getting close to its implementation. Meanwhile, over-tourism is in the headlines a lot these days, especially after this crazy, travel-filled summer in Europe. In the meantime, Venice hopes to implement the new fee in the coming year. This won’t affect travelers staying overnight in the city, as they already pay a different fee for their stay.

Venice plans to implement day trip fee in 2024

According to Reuters, Venice is finally planning to introduce its much-discussed day trip fee for visitors in 2024. This will be on a trial basis after the city initially postponed the plans. Citing the city council, Reuters reported that the day trip fee, which will be set at €5 ($5.36) per person, will be payable by all travelers over the age of 14 who visit the iconic canal city for the day. Initially, the fee will be in place on a trial basis, mostly over busy periods like spring bank holidays and summer weekends when Venice is at its most crowded.

At present, the exact date to implement the trial hasn’t been released. However, Venice Tourism Councilor, Simone Venturini said the goal is to find “a new balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice and those who visit the city.”

Ideas for the new day trip fee were first introduced in 2019 to add more control over tourism crowding. However, the plans were delayed mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the pandemic, Venice looked to introduce the fee in 2022, but it was once again delayed until 2023, leading to yet another delay.

About the new fee for day trippers

While the day trip fee is postponed for now, travelers staying overnight at a hotel in the city are already subject to a different fee. However, the introduction of the day trip fee is intended to prevent over-tourism in an iconic city that is on the bucket lists of many travelers who visit Italy. Moreover, as noted by Reuters, tourists often outnumbered residents during busy times.

In recent years, Venice has been making efforts to preserve its unique attractions, even going so far as to declare the waterways around the city a “national monument.” In fact, the city eventually banned large cruise ships from passing through its canals and into its Lagoon. However, these new measures were only a temporary reprieve from the city being included on the UNESCO World Heritage danger list.

Just last month, UNESCO brought up the subject again, recommending adding Venice to the list, as the current efforts are “insufficient and not detailed enough.”

Meanwhile, besides the fee in Venice, Italy, those visiting Europe will have to pay an additional fee. Dubbed the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), this goes into effect in 2024. The cost of the ETIAS is €7 ($7.51) and it will be valid for three years, or until the expiration date of the holder’s travel document.

Amsterdam and Barcelona fighting the same battle

Besides Venice, Amsterdam has also been battling with over-tourism, introducing advertising videos showing drunken young British men the error of their ways in the city. Moreover, the city banned cruise ships from entering its port.

TOURIST GO HOME WE SPIT IN YOUR BEER

Strong words daubed on a wall in the #Gracia neighbourhood of #Barcelona.

What do you think? Fair reaction to over-tourism? Does it reflect the way residents feel in Spain's big cities?#tourism #masstourism #spain pic.twitter.com/IJERveDxMb

— The Olive Press (@olivepress) August 15, 2023

Moreover, Barcelona is also battling over-tourism following the end of the pandemic. In certain popular areas of the city, residents are going through what they call “tourismphobia.” During a festival in Vila de Gracia, fed-up residents marked the busy streets with graffiti. On a number of walls, they wrote “Tourist go home,” and statements like, “We spit in your beer.”