Skift Take
Venetians may hike their new entry fee to €10 and expand how often it applies. The goal is to draw a bigger share of travelers who are respectful and want to explore Venice beyond the beaten path.
Venice considers its entry fee for tourists an early success. A top official told Skift that in the next year the city could double the fee and charge it more often.
Simone Venturini, deputy mayor for tourism, said the fee fits into the city's broader strategy to preserve its beauty and local community while repositioning itself from being “a cheap tourism capital" to a high-end destination.
Skift talked to Venturini about the fee and the city's efforts to manage tourism. This interview has been edited for brevity.
1. Entry Fee Could Expand to "Maybe 10 Euros, Maybe 100 Days"Since April 25, tourists not staying at hotels have been required to pay a 5 euro fee (around $5.40) before entering Venice. The entry fee applies only on selected 29 days between April and July.
What are the early results of the tourism tax, and how will the revenue from the tax be used?
Venturini: We were very concerned before the first day of the entry fee about people forming crowds in the queue, causing discomfort to commuters and international tourists. The system was designed to be easy, soft and welcoming — not a police state saying you cannot enter.
We have some encouraging signals. Everything has gone smoothly. We were very surprised when people arriving in Venice, even the people from around Italy, were very happy to show us the core code. People understood what we wanted to do.
In the next year, we will add maybe a higher tax, maybe 10 euro, and we can add more days, not ju