(14 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venice, Italy – 25 April 2024
1. Various of Venice municipality stewards controlling QR code certifying either the payment of the access fee or the exception for those who have an hotel in Venice or live in Venice
2. Close of website to pay access fee on mobile phone
3. Access fee controller
4. Various of access fee signs in front of Venice main station
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venice, Italy – 13 July 2024
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Colleen Barry, Associated Press:
“So, we are on the second last day of Venice testing the new tourist tax. It’s been charging tourists who are not staying overnight in Venice five euros a day to come visit the city on 29 days that specified. Tourists come down through this and they’re asked to show their QR code. But right behind me, you see a group of citizens who have gathered here to protest this. They say that it’s been a complete failure, that the numbers that they have been able to ascertain show that instead, there have been more arrivals this year than last year. They’ve only been able to compare three days, but on each of those three days, more people have arrived."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venice, Italy – 25 April 2024
6. Various of municipal stewardess checking access fee payment
7. Flyer explaining access fee in various languages
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venice, Italy – 13 July 2024
8.SOUNDBITE (English) Colleen Barry, Associated Press:
"The Venice city administration hasn’t really talked about this since the programme started. The pilot programme started. They’re expected to have a news conference this week, but all indications are that this will continue next year and that the fee will be doubled from five to 10 euros a day for day trippers arriving in Venice."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venice, Italy – 25 April 2024
9. Various of Venice station and canals
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venice, Italy – 24 April 2024
10. Various of Saint Mark square and Rialto bridge
STORYLINE:
Venice on Sunday wraps up a pilot programme charging day-trippers an entrance fee, more than 2 million euros ($2.2 million) richer and determined to extend the levy, but opponents in the fragile lagoon city called the experiment a failure.
Several dozen activists gathered outside the Santa Lucia train station overlooking a teeming canal on Saturday to protest the 5-euro ($5.45) levy that they say did little to dissuade visitors from arriving on peak days, as envisioned.
Over the first 11 days of the trial period, an average of 75,000 visitors were recorded in the city.
Martini said that is 10,000 more each day than on three indicative holidays in 2023, citing figures provided by the city based on cell phone data that tracks arrivals in the city.
Venice imposed the long-discussed day-tripper tax on 29 days this year, mostly weekends and holidays, from April 25 through mid-July.
The project, delayed by the pandemic, was heralded by UNESCO member states when they decided against a recommendation to place the city on its list of world heritage sites in danger.
Over the last 2 1/2 months, nearly 438,000 tourists have paid the tax, raising revenues of some 2.19 million euros ($2.4 million), according to AP calculations based on data supplied by the city.
Officials said the money would be used for essential services, which cost more in a city traversed by canals, including trash removal and maintenance.
The levy was not applied to people staying in hotels in Venice, who are already charged a lodging tax.
A proposal to double the fee to 10 euros is being considered for next year, a city spokesman said.
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