The mayor of Venice has proposed May 1 as the start date for
the city to begin charging access fees for day visitors.
Under the proposal, the fee would be set at 3 euros (about
$3.40) for the rest of 2019 as an introductory rate.
Starting in 2020, the fee would vary by demand. The basic
fee would be 6 euros, rising to 8 euros on heavy traffic days and 10 euros on
exceptionally busy days. The fee would be 3 euros on days of low inflow.
Fines of between 100 and 450 euros would be assessed for
violations.
The city would develop a system of "non-invasive checks"
for enforcement, the proposal said.
Mayor
Luigi Brugnaro got permission from the central government to impose the day tax
as part of the country’s 2019 budget. The plan would have to be approved by the Venice city
council by Feb. 26 to take effect.
Calling
the fee "an important turning point in the management
of Venice's tourist flows," Brugnaro said the money is needed to manage
waste, repair infrastructure and maintain visitor flows to the popular
destination. Brugnaro said he didn't know how much revenue the fees
would raise because the point was not to raise money but to protect the city
and its residents.
The proposal suggests a pre-booking system for day visitors
by 2022. Anyone planning to come for the day would give notice, helping to
anticipate demand and set the daily fee. Brugnaro said no one would be denied
access but that it would be "more complicated for those who don't book."
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Jeri Clausing contributed to this report.