Venice charging tourists for day trips
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People visit Venice to walk through the historic city, take in the sights and maybe even have a ride on a gondola - that's the boats you can see in the picture!
People visiting Venice on day trips will have to pay a five euro tax from Saturday 27 April.
People who live in the city have complained that tourism is making the historic site overcrowded, and that people often leave litter and mess after visiting.
Venice in north east Italy, built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea, is surrounded by water and many people use canals and boats to get around.
An estimated 30 million tourists come to Venice each year, but despite its popularity, a new charge has been introduced for people visiting on busy days.
Day trippers will only have to pay the tax if visiting the 'old city' - which is the area inside the lagoon, and includes major tourist locations and famous bridges.
Why has it been introduced?
Venice can get super busy during the summer
Lots of tourists visit Venice - the city itself only has a population of 50,000 people, and it can get very busy in peak seasons.
People living there are concerned about over-tourism, which is when lots of people come to a place to visit, potentially contributing to issues like littering or pollution.
It's hoped that the charge will encourage less people to come on already-busy days, to avoid overcrowding.
People travel from all over the world to visit Venice's historic canals and waterways
What is Venice famous for?
Venice is a UNESCO world heritage site - which means it's a special location that needs to be looked after.
The historic city area is made up of a lagoon of different canals and walkways, which people travel from all over the world to visit.
It was a famous place for art, especially glasswork. Because of how close it is to the sea, Venice was a big centre for navigation, and lots of famous maps are kept in a museum there.
Who has to pay the new tax?
Anyone visiting Venice just for the day between 8:30AM and 4PM will pay the tax. If you're staying inside the City of Venice, which is the lagoon area, you won't have to pay as you're already staying there.
Also if you're a resident or you own a property there, you won't have to pay. You also won't have to pay if you're under 15, working in the area, or studying in Venice.
There are already charges for people visiting Venice anyway, which people usually pay if they are staying in accommodation.
People will be able to pay the charge on their phones and download a QR code to show to inspectors. They will check people at random in common arrival areas, like the train station.
Those without a ticket risk getting a fine.
- Published4 February 2020
- Published23 May 2019
