How is the access ticket in Venice doing? Better than expected

Venice likes it, and is attracting tourists despite the introduction of the 5-euro ticket, surpassing the City Council’s forecasts: after 8 of the 29 days on which daily visitors were charged admission fees, the 700,000 euros that had been estimated as ticket revenue for the whole of 2024 (between April 25 and July 14) had already been far exceeded. As of May 2, 144,645 daily visitors had entered with the ticket for a total of 723,225 euros, one million euros after the 11th day. Net of the exempt who are a large number: guests in accommodation facilities in fact do not pay as they already pay the tourist tax, students, commuting workers, property owners who pay IMU or lease holders who have not moved their residence to the Ancient City do not pay. ancient city; relatives; school trips; residents of the Veneto; those who have to treat themselves in a facility within the municipality of Venice; and those who visit a resident, but who must apply on behalf of their guests.

Basically, it pays for those who visit Venice in a day, that is, those who arrive in the city and leave without staying overnight. The ’hit-and-runs’. But it is precisely on the guest friends of Venetians that a breach in the system can be opened: in fact, ’protest’ actions have appeared by Venetians opposed to the ticket who propose to become ’friends to be hosted’ to thus allow entry without paying. Counter-moves have already started by activating the postal police.

As a reminder, the Venice access fee is based on the experimental legislation that originates from the 2019 Budget Law, then updated in 2021, and aims to “define a new system of managing tourist flows and to disincentivize daily tourism in Venice during certain periods, in line with the delicacy and uniqueness of the City,” and for 2024 the calendar of days on which to experiment with the ticket were April 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30; May 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26; June 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30; and July 6, 7, 13 and 14 (with the obligation to book and pay for those entering between 8.30 and 4 p.m.). There is a constantly updated FAQ section on the portal https://cda.ve.it/it/.

A system that requires about 75 informing stewards each day in 16 areas; about 40 verifying stewards and 35 ascertainers in about 15 checkpoints, the main ones of which will be in the Ferrovia area, the Piazzale Roma area and the San Zaccaria area. 70 information totems scattered at the city’s access points, as well as in Chioggia and Punta Sabbioni.

The numbers of daily tourists had been underestimated by the mouthpiece of the Venice municipality’s budget councillor himself, Michele Zuin: “We have budgeted conservative figures.” Mayor Luigi Brugnaro wanted to remind that “the goal of the access fee is to make the City livable, for residents, workers, students and tourists. Most people have understood that we want to protect the city. It is a correctable measure, which can be improved, however, it seems that it has not given particular disadvantages. No one is hiding the problems and difficulties, but we are trying to make it. One step at a time we will make it.” He added that “This year we will spend more [3 million in the budget, ed.] than we will collect.”

“Nothing has ever been done to regulate tourism and we believed it was necessary to do something,” the mayor of Venice explained on the eve of the first day of experimentation. “Fear of change is legitimate, but even this can serve to improve but if fear blocks everything there is no progress, no future. Today we spend more money than we collect, but this is not an expense it is a way to make people understand that we need to change and therefore dilute visits to the city, avoiding clogs and people are understanding this. The experimentation will be medium to long we have to collect data and information and then calibrate the system, offer services like the QR code already does. We no longer have the funding from the Special Law for Venice, although it is being found for the Messina Bridge. The greatest satisfaction was seeing people approaching the gates waving the access QR code-these people understood.”

But let’s look at the numbers on some significant days. On the departure day, April 25, 113,000 people registered, of whom 15,700 were paying. Among the exempt: nearly 40,000 guests in accommodations (who already pay the tourist tax), 2,100 relatives of residents and 2,000 friends of residents. In addition, registered for the entire period 13,000 students and 20,400 workers. In addition, all residents and those born in the City of Venice should be considered, who can enter and leave the city without registration, showing only their ID. The checks conducted verified a total of nearly 14,000 people, revealing no particular critical issues.

OnSunday, April 28 , there were 16,038 payers, down from the previous Friday’s peak of 23,600. Overall reduced numbers also confirmed by telephone cells. Among the exempt: more than 58,000 guests in accommodations, because they already pay the tourist tax. Stable the exempt residents of Veneto. Confirmed, as they are permanent conditions and therefore have a voucher until July 14, are the number of students (13,000), workers (20,500) and property owners who pay IMU or lease holders (6,700) who have not moved residence to the Old City. The checks conducted verified a total of 16,409 QR-codes, revealing no particular critical issues. Attendances on the islands of Murano and Burano were good, and a few thousand people reached the Lido for the first real spring sunshine.

For the day of April 30, 16,093 payers were registered, down from the previous weekend. Stable, stopping at 49,000, were the guests in accommodations, because they already pay the tourist tax, as the highest number is registered on the weekend. To consider that this figure overlaps several categories: arrivals, accommodations and departures. Confirmed in the overall numbers, as they are permanent conditions and therefore have a voucher until July 14, students, workers, property owners who pay IMU or lease holders who have not moved residence to the Old City. The checks conducted verified a total of nearly 15,001 QR-codes, revealing no particular critical issues.

On May 1 , 19,007 payers had registered. Stable, stopping just above 50,000, were the guests in accommodation facilities, because they already pay the tourist tax, as the highest number is registered on weekends. To consider that this figure overlaps several categories: arrivals, lodgers and departures. The checks conducted verified a total of nearly 18,864 QR-codes, revealing no particular critical issues.

On May 5, the eleventh day of experimentation there were 12,250 payers, down from yesterday’s figure, and also from last Sunday. Codes issued for exempt guests in accommodations number just over 50,000, who are not required to pay because they already pay the tourist tax. To consider that this figure overlaps several categories: arrivals, lodgers and departures. Exempt because they are residents of Veneto or the Metropolitan City: 9,673. Confirmed in the overall numbers, as they are often permanent conditions and therefore have a voucher until July 14, students (16,464), workers (22,370), property owners who pay IMU or lease holders who have not moved residence to the Old City (7,091), as well as for relatives (2,715). Applications for exemption “for other reasons” at 1,304 and school trips 262. The checks conducted verified a total of 13,211 QR-codes, with no particular critical issues detected.

Photo: Municipality of Venice

How is the access ticket in Venice doing? Better than expected

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