First day of testing, today 25 April, of the entrance ticket to Venice. Approximately 113 thousand visitors to the city, with over 15 thousand tourists who booked and paid the 5 euro contribution. But they were not missing moments of tension due to the protests of the citizen committees against the measure.
The demonstrators behind a banner reading ‘No to tickets, Yes to homes and services for all’ blocked the cars on the Liberty bridge and then headed towards Piazzale Roma and entered through the access to the Papadopoli gardens. Some held up their passports in anger that the lagoon city had been placed behind a theme park-style barrier. “More homes for residents, so Venice is Disneyland”, some of the slogans.
“I can tell you that almost the entire city is against it,” said Matteo Secchi, director of Venessia.com, a citizen activist group. “You cannot impose an entrance fee into a city; they’re just turning it into a theme park. This is a bad image of Venice… I mean, are we kidding?”
Many foreign journalists present were intrigued by the experimentation launched by the city. Tourism councilor Simone Venturini declares himself satisfied “with the collaborative attitude of the tourists themselves who are the first to have understood the spirit of our initiative”.
Mayor Brugnaro satisfied
“The greatest satisfaction was seeing who approached the gates waving the access QR code: these people understood our intentions”, said the mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro at the end of the first day of testing. “Nothing has ever been done to regulate tourism and we believed that something needed to be done. The fear of change is legitimate, but it can be used to improve. Today we spend more money than we collect, but I don’t consider it an expense, but rather a way to make it clear that we need to change and dilute visits to the city, avoiding congestion, and people are understanding this. I remember that we no longer have the funding from the special law for Venice, but a special law is necessary for this delicate city.”
Today’s numbers
For today they are 113,000 people registered, of which 15,700 paying. 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, 75 informant stewards in 16 areas, 40 verifier stewards and 35 inspectors in 15 control points, checked almost 14,000 people, without revealing any particular critical issues. Tomorrow we repeat, again from 8am to 4pm.
Here’s how the ticket works
The entrance ticket, required only for access to the historic center of Venice, can be booked online and will be applied on 29 peak days, mainly weekends, from today 25 April until 14 July as part of the trial phase . Residents, commuters, students and children under 14 are exempt, as are tourists staying overnight.
Tourists, however, will have to purchase the ticket online and will then be provided with a QR code. Those without one will be able to purchase tickets on arrival, with the help of local stewards, who will also carry out random checks at five main arrival points, including the Santa Lucia train station. Anyone without a ticket risks a fine of 50 to 300 euros
