Sea levels aren’t the one thing rising.
Waterlogged Venice wowed the travel world last 12 months by slapping visitors with a controversial entry fee to assist keep the sinking city afloat — and now local officials are doubling the speed.
Said to have been initiated in 2024 as a response to the opposed effects of overtourism on the precarious UNESCO World Heritage Site, even locals were greater than slightly gondo-leery of the surprise 5 euro fee (roughly $5.15) on the time — with some calling the bailout plan little greater than a symbolic drop within the bucket.
They have to be over it now — the tariff for individuals who don’t make their booking and pay up a minimum of 4 days ahead of time will increase to 10 euros (roughly $10.25), the local tourism office stated.
That, they usually’re almost doubling the variety of days per 12 months the charge will likely be in effect, in accordance with reports.
The fee was initially touted as a technique of discouraging crowding during select peak season dates.
Visitors can still pay the discounted rate on the affected days — while those that make a last-minute decision pays the brand new, steeper toll.
Fines for not registering can reportedly be as high as $310.
The scheme seems to have gone from shocking to sexy — tourism official Simone Venturini told colleagues at a recent industry convention of a flood of interest that followed the announcement, particularly from other destinations struggling to administer growing crowds.
“We confirm that several institutional bodies, each in Italy and internationally, have contacted the City of Venice to achieve a deeper understanding of the [fee],” a spokesperson told Business Insider.
Kyoto, Japan, Formentera in Spain, Zermatt, Switzerland and other Italian destinations had all made inquiries, they shared.
The outlet stated that the change has already added 2.4 million euros (about $2.5 million) to local coffers — having the specified effect of keeping numbers from busting previous records during times of typical peak visitation.
Calling his city a “pioneer” within the fight against overtourism, Venturini expressed a renewed dedication to creating ” a recent system to administer tourist flow and disincentivize daytripper tourism in several periods, according to the fragile and unique nature of town.”
Things got off to a rocky start last 12 months, when indignant activists took to the streets, passageways and canals of the proud former maritime republic to protest the brand new scheme, saying that Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro — who commended his own, Marco Polo-level “bravery” for rubberstamping the scheme — had turned certainly one of the world’s most romantic destinations into little greater than a “theme park.”
“I can let you know that just about all the city is against it,” local activist Matteo Secchi claimed on the time. “You may’t impose an entrance fee to a city; all they’re doing is transforming it right into a theme park. It is a bad image for Venice … I mean, are we joking?”
Meanwhile, gauche guests of the Habsburgian haunt proceed to do their best to offer tourism a black eye — last summer, two men were spotted stripping down for a swim within the canal in front of a beloved historic cemetery.
“Shameful. Rude. Ignorant,” fumed one local on the time.
Months before that, a selfie-obsessed gondola stuffed with sightseers capsized after they refused to stop standing as much as take pictures, defying specific instructions to stay seated.
The tragicomic scene quickly went viral on social media.
Sea levels aren’t the one thing rising.
Waterlogged Venice wowed the travel world last 12 months by slapping visitors with a controversial entry fee to assist keep the sinking city afloat — and now local officials are doubling the speed.
Said to have been initiated in 2024 as a response to the opposed effects of overtourism on the precarious UNESCO World Heritage Site, even locals were greater than slightly gondo-leery of the surprise 5 euro fee (roughly $5.15) on the time — with some calling the bailout plan little greater than a symbolic drop within the bucket.
They have to be over it now — the tariff for individuals who don’t make their booking and pay up a minimum of 4 days ahead of time will increase to 10 euros (roughly $10.25), the local tourism office stated.
That, they usually’re almost doubling the variety of days per 12 months the charge will likely be in effect, in accordance with reports.
The fee was initially touted as a technique of discouraging crowding during select peak season dates.
Visitors can still pay the discounted rate on the affected days — while those that make a last-minute decision pays the brand new, steeper toll.
Fines for not registering can reportedly be as high as $310.
The scheme seems to have gone from shocking to sexy — tourism official Simone Venturini told colleagues at a recent industry convention of a flood of interest that followed the announcement, particularly from other destinations struggling to administer growing crowds.
“We confirm that several institutional bodies, each in Italy and internationally, have contacted the City of Venice to achieve a deeper understanding of the [fee],” a spokesperson told Business Insider.
Kyoto, Japan, Formentera in Spain, Zermatt, Switzerland and other Italian destinations had all made inquiries, they shared.
The outlet stated that the change has already added 2.4 million euros (about $2.5 million) to local coffers — having the specified effect of keeping numbers from busting previous records during times of typical peak visitation.
Calling his city a “pioneer” within the fight against overtourism, Venturini expressed a renewed dedication to creating ” a recent system to administer tourist flow and disincentivize daytripper tourism in several periods, according to the fragile and unique nature of town.”
Things got off to a rocky start last 12 months, when indignant activists took to the streets, passageways and canals of the proud former maritime republic to protest the brand new scheme, saying that Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro — who commended his own, Marco Polo-level “bravery” for rubberstamping the scheme — had turned certainly one of the world’s most romantic destinations into little greater than a “theme park.”
“I can let you know that just about all the city is against it,” local activist Matteo Secchi claimed on the time. “You may’t impose an entrance fee to a city; all they’re doing is transforming it right into a theme park. It is a bad image for Venice … I mean, are we joking?”
Meanwhile, gauche guests of the Habsburgian haunt proceed to do their best to offer tourism a black eye — last summer, two men were spotted stripping down for a swim within the canal in front of a beloved historic cemetery.
“Shameful. Rude. Ignorant,” fumed one local on the time.
Months before that, a selfie-obsessed gondola stuffed with sightseers capsized after they refused to stop standing as much as take pictures, defying specific instructions to stay seated.
The tragicomic scene quickly went viral on social media.
