Entrance ticket to Verona like Venice? For the Municipality it is fake news: “Too many access points”

The municipal administration of Verona is looking for new solutions to limit hit-and-run tourism, but without resorting to Venetian entrance ticket template. The Councilor for Culture and Tourism expressed his opinion on the issue Marta Ugolini.

Hypothetical entry ticket to Verona, for the Administration it is impossible

A problem that has been of interest in recent months the city of Veronawhere every day we deal with very high numbers of visitorsfascinated by the history and culture that emerge from the romantic streets of Verona.

Taking a look at the numbers, January and February 2024 registered an increase of 5% of attendance compared to the same period in 2023.

For this reason, a real debate has opened in the Municipality on how to stem the phenomenon not so much about tourism in general, but hit-and-run visits throughout the day without stopping to sleep.

The Councilor for Culture and Tourism expressed his opinion on the issue Marta Ugolini:

“Entrance ticket to Verona based on the Venice model? I don’t know that this is an idea in the pipeline for our city, nor that anyone has officially suggested it. As an Administration we are working to improve flows and guarantee a better quality of life for residents.

“It’s sad to note that information is circulating that does not correspond to reality – states the councilor – Starting from the fact that there was no mention of a probable entrance ticket to Verona on yesterday’s official occasion or at the preparatory table for the drafting of the Veneto Tourism Strategic Plan 2025-2027 in which the members of the control room, representatives and stakeholders of the sector participated.

Then there is the data on the maximum threshold of tourists that Verona could host, a number that the university itself pointed out had never been made officially known, as the research group working on it has not yet calculated it ”.

“We need planning of the cultural and tourist offer”

We are now thinking about regulate events which for years have come to life especially in the historic center of the city of Verona, rather than a real entrance ticket on the Venetian model.

“The administration’s position is that cities do not close down – continues councilor Ugolini – Also apply to Verona an entry ticket for visitors similar to that of Veniceif it were deemed feasible and appropriate for our city, it would be practically impossible due to the presence of too many access points which would require as many safeguards.

We believe that the approach according to which lowering tourist numbers corresponds to guaranteeing better quality of services does not have a rational basis, rather a reflection on the real problem of crowding that occurs in some sites and in particular periods of the year is needed. For Verona this is the case of the Courtyard and Juliet’s House, for a definitive solution to which we are continuing the work started in recent months, or of some events that attract a greater number of tourists. We believe that the solution must be found in orienting tourists to the different areas of the city through a planning of the cultural and tourist offer that takes into account the balances at play and certainly not in the introduction of a ticket which would also be difficult to collect”.

“One topic we are working on, regarding the touristisation of the historic centre, concerns tourist rentals – concludes councilor Ugolini – A topic that the administration has at heart and on which serious evaluations are being made, identifying suitable solutions. We would really like, and this is what we are asking for in several Municipalities, to have a national law available that attributes real powers of intervention to the municipalities, to ensure the authenticity and real liveability of the historic centers through adequate regulations”.