New rules banning loudspeakers and limiting the size of tour groups to 25 people in Venice, Italy, came into effect last weekend.
Officials of the Italian city say the measures are an effort to limit the impact of over-tourism at the world-famous destination, which also welcomes an estimated 25 million people a year, Schengen.
The measures, first announced in January 2024, aim to improve tourism in the lagoon city by striking a better balance between residents’ and tourists’ needs.
The canals of Venice’s historic quarter attract tens of millions of visitors, making it one of the most visited sites in Europe.
This is the latest in a series of measures the city has undertaken to curb the impact of tourists.
In April of this year, the city introduced a daily entrance fee of €5, and in 2021, officials banned cruise ships from docking in the historic quarter.
In First 11 Days of Tax Application, Venice Collected Over €1 Million
In this regard, Venice authorities said that since the implementation of the €5 entrance fee for day trippers, nearly one million euros had already been collected in the first 11 days.
They also sold 195,000 tickets from April 25 to May 5, slightly exceeding expectations and bringing in €975,000.
However, the amount is still less than three million to set up the online reservation system, information campaigns and ticket controls.
Authorities further revealed that the fee is expected to increase to €10 per day after the trial period. For people who try to visit the country without a ticket, there are also fines from €50 to €300.
Venice Expects to Exceed Pre-pandemic Levels in Coming Years
The entrance fee currently costs €5 (£4.27) for day visitors, excluding residents of the Veneto region, students and children under 14.
In fact, on May 19, 2024, there were 70,000 entries, while on June 2 of last year, a national holiday in Italy, only 65,000 were registered.
Despite the efforts the city has made in order to prevent over-tourism, Venice remains home to approximately 250,000 residents and welcomed over 13 million visitors in 2019.
While visitor numbers have declined since then, they are anticipated to surpass pre-pandemic levels in the coming years.
Moreover, last year, Venice reportedly saw 20 million tourists visit two square miles of the historic quarter, an area that is home to just 50,000 full-time residents and boasts 49,000 tourist beds for rent.
Source: https://schengen.news/venice-has-banned-loudspeakers-restricts-tour-groups-to-limit-impact-of-over-tourism/
