Those entering the city without an overnight reservation (or with an exemption) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. will have to pay the fee.
The program will be managed through an online platform that will produce QR-coded "tickets" confirming payment or exemption. There will also be kiosks in the city to pay the fee.
Visitors will be able to register online starting January 16, 2024.
Those requesting exemptions will also have to register for a QR code, including overnight visitors.
In short: all tourists over the age of 14 who do not stay overnight in the city will have to pay. But even those staying overnight in the city will have to register online to get a QR code indicating their exemption.
There are other exemptions, but all those exempt will have to carry a QR code proving it, except for city residents and those born in Venice (who will have to prove residency or birth).
People who own property in the city (and pay real estate tax), students and workers commuting to Venice will have to register on the new online platform to obtain a long-term QR code valid throughout the year.
Those visiting the city for business or short-term study will also be exempt, but must register for a daily QR code. The same goes for tourists staying overnight in the municipality of Venice, which includes Mestre on the mainland, and those visiting residents of what has become known as the "Old Town," the historic center of Venice.
Children under the age of 14 will also not pay, nor will people with "certified disabilities," along with their caregivers. However, they too will have to book and receive a free QR code.
Those staying in Venice will not pay the entrance fee, as they already pay an overnight fee. However, they will need QR codes. A city council spokesperson suggested to CNN that local hotels are likely to prepare codes for their guests. If they don't, guests will have to register their waiver before arriving.
There will be seven main access and ticket control points: the airport, the train and bus stations, the port of Fusina and the docks of Fondamente Nove and Riva degli Schiavoni, where many ships dock. A spokesman for the municipality confirmed that these will not be the only checkpoints, but could not specify where the others will be.
Where not included
For 2024, the city has waived the fee for those traveling to most of the lagoon islands, including the Murano and Burano visitor centers, as well as the Lido, where the city's beaches are located. However, most visitors to Murano and Burano will have to pay the fee anyway, as most arrive by vaporetto from the city center.
People transiting through Piazzale Roma (the bus terminal), Tronchetto or Stazione Marittima (where small cruise ships still dock) will be exempt, as long as they do not cross into the "Old Town".
Fines will range from €50 (US$54) to €300 (US$327) per person.
The city council has identified 29 peak days in the first half of 2024 to charge day-trippers.
The fee was first mooted in 2019, with councilors finally approving its introduction in 2024 on September 23, while the amount to be paid and the applicable dates for 2024 were chosen on November 23.
The entrance fee is intended to moderate day trips, "inviting tourists to choose alternative dates," the City Council explained.
"The aim is to strike a new balance between residents, city users and visitors to the Old City who wish to experience positive emotions at the UNESCO World Heritage Site."
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said at the council meeting, "This is not a revolution, but the first step on the road to regulating access for day tourists, an experiment whose goal is to improve the livability of the city, of those who live and work here."
"Venice is the first city in the world to start this path, which can become an example for other fragile cities to be preserved."
He warned that there could be "problems" in going ahead with the system: "The margins of error are wide, but we are willing to make the necessary changes to improve the procedure."
"Venice is the first city in the world to start down this path, which can become an example for other fragile cities to preserve."
He warned that there could be "problems" in going ahead with the system: "The margins of error are wide, but we are willing to make the necessary changes to improve the procedure."
The influx of visitors will be "constantly monitored" by the city's Smart Control Room, which uses cell phone technology, as well as CCTV cameras, to see where people are going, and which helped calculate the dates on which to activate the program.
Revenues from the fee will be used to communicate with tourists so that they behave more responsibly and "live the city better," Brugnaro told reporters.
