A soft start. They announced it, they did it. The first tourists who passed through the gates on Thursday 25 April Venice Santa Lucia station first they found the stewards in white bibs ready to give them directions, then those in yellow bibs who asked to show the QR code.
Ticket debut in Venice, our video story
Among the first to arrive were many local tourists from Veneto and Lombardy, as well as some local elderly people without codes who lined up to obtain exemption. International tourists were still few in the early morning, but no one was caught unprepared. No queues, but random checks without causing inconvenience. Meanwhile, the first no tickets showed up, showing a fake Venetian passport. In Piazzale Roma, few stewards: the largest flow is expected during the morning.
«A soft start, as we said» commented the budget councilor Michele Zuin«we are still trying to carry out checks to make people understand that there is this access fee». What would the councilor reply to the citizens who will gather in Piazzale Roma at 10.30 to say no to the ticket? «Full freedom to demonstrate, only to then say that these are the same people who complain about the presence of too many tourists. At least we did something. Doing nothing and protesting is the world of no »she concludes.
Entrance ticket to Venice, councilor Zuin: “Soft debut”
The numbers
On the first day of testing the entrance ticket to Venice there were 113 thousand the people who registered their presence in the city today, April 25th. Only 15,700, however, paid for the voucher 5 euros to access the historic center. The proceeds are 78,500 euros, but with all related management costs. All other accesses are for people exempt from the tax (Venetian citizens, workers, students and other categories), required to register on the online platform but not to pay.
Among those exempt: almost 40,000 guests in accommodation facilities (who already pay the tourist tax), 2,100 relatives of residents and 2,000 friends of residents. Furthermore, 13,000 students and 20,400 workers registered for the entire period. Furthermore, all residents and those born in the Municipality of Venice who can enter and exit the city without registration, showing only their identity document, must be considered.
The checks carried out verified a total of almost 14,000 people, without revealing any particular critical issues.
Mayor
“Everything is going well I think.” The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, arrives in front of the Santa Lucia train station shortly after 11. Waiting for him are the councilors Michele Zuin (Budget) and Simone Venturini (Tourism). He walks among the staff with yellow and orange bibs who stop tourists, provide information, ask to see the QR Code. «We’re trying, we must not be afraid to change and we apologize for the inconvenience we are causing”, says Brugnaro, “our goal is to preserve Venice and testify to everyone the importance of the delicacy of this city, a heritage not only of those who live and work there, but also of all the people who love it. We ask everyone to come with respect.”
Ticket to enter Venice, the mayor: “This is how the city is protected”
There will be time for analyze the trial data started today and try to understand, for example, how many people today, 25 April 2024, preferred to stay at home rather than reach Venice. «One of the first effects» adds Brugnaro, «is a greater awareness of the tourists arriving in Venice, some left the station waving the QR Code leaflet, it seems to me that people have understood the meaning of this initiative, this idea of bookability to make the city more livable and to be able to organize adequate services based on the number of people who will arrive in Venice”. While the mayor speaks, in front of the Santa Lucia station, in Piazzale Roma, a few hundred demonstrators are protesting against the introduction of the ticket.
«It’s democracy, in Venice you can continue to protest but the fear of change cannot block new developments» replies the mayor. And on the money that will be collected with the ticket he says: «For the moment there are more resources that come out, and if we manage to make visitors understand the delicacy of Venice it will be money well spent. Over time, if there is any income, it will go exclusively towards the cleanliness and decorum of the city.”
Brugnaro also launched an aappeal to the government for the refinancing of the special law for Venice: «We no longer have the funding from the Special Law for Venice even if, if it is found for the Messina bridge, it could also be found for this unique city».
I don’t have tickets
The experimentation of the access ticket continues to be discussed, which is why committees and associations have expressed their disappointment. Ruggero Tallon, of the No large ships committee, responded to councilor Zuin: «We are not the party of no, but the party of yes. Yes to a city for residents.”
