Hundreds of Venice residents have gathered to protest the city’s new tourist fee. The five euro charge, termed an access contribution or “contributo d’accesso”, was launched on Thursday 25 April, for day trippers arriving in the city between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm on a selection of 29 dates over the high season between now and July.
Checkpoints and barriers have been erected at train stations and arrival points, with stewards trained to verify whether people have paid or are in possession of a valid exemption, and there are fines in place for those who fail to register appropriately and thereby contravene the new rule.
Between 300 and 1,000 protesters
But locals object. Claiming the ticket system turns the historic city into a museum or a theme park, and armed with sarcastic catchphrases like “Welcome to Veniceland”, between 300 and 1,000 protesters descended upon Piazzale Roma, the city’s road entry-point, with exact numbers disputed between authorities and the organizers.
A march to Campo Santa Margherita, a major public square, also took place. Scuffles occurred with police in riot gear and the train station too witnessed scenes of confrontation between yet more protesters and the Mayor, albeit ending with a hug, according to local media.
A medieval tax
Ruggero Tallon, an overtourism activist and and spokesperson for the anti-cruise ship campaign group No Grandi Navi, told CNN “We rose up against the mayor’s idea of a closed city, a museum city.” He went on: “A ticket does nothing. It doesn’t stop the monoculture of tourism. It doesn’t ease the pressure on Venice. It’s a medieval tax and it’s against freedom of movement.”
Some 30,000 – 40,000 daytrippers visit Venice on the busiest high season days, according to tourism official Simone Venturini, but many residents say the new day fee targets the wrong problem.
Overnight visitors are exempt from paying it, as they already pay a tourist tax as part of their hotel bill, but some locals say it is in fact overnight visitors who clog the narrow canals and streets with overnight suitcases and occupy beds that could otherwise provide affordable long-term rentals.
Lack of affordable, good quality housing has led to the exodus of the city population, the protesters note, pointing out that on the first day registrations for the Venice entry check opened, 5,300 people registered to enter the city as second homeowners. Less than 50,000 permanent residents now live in Venice and the pressure on prices and housing stock are issues, locals say, which will not be resolved by the day tripper tax.
The access contribution scheme is designed as a trial to be assessed when this first introductory season has concluded.
