Venice is set to charge visitors to enter the city amid a new set of rules designed to curb the worst effects of over-tourism.
Italian newspaper La Stampa reported over the weekend that the Venetian authorities will introduce a visitor charge from summer 2022.
Depending on the season, visitors will have to pay between €3 and €10 for the privilege of exploring the narrow alleys and canals of the famous city.
Only Day Trippers Will Pay
The new charge are exclusively targeted at day trippers, who make up the majority of the 26 million or so visitors that descended on Venice in 2019.
Anyone staying in a hotel, along with children under 6 and all residents and their relatives, are exempted from the charge.
Dealing with Overtourism
Venice has battled the challenges of mass tourism for many years.
The historic centre has only 53,000 inhabitants: with 26 million yearly visitors, it would be like if Dublin with its 1.3 million had to welcome an additional 676 million arrivals.
Since the beginning of August large cruise ships have been banned from entering the Grand Canal.
