At Piazzale Roma, at the entrance to Venice, There was a protest against the new fee required for one-day tourists. According to organizers, over a thousand people gathered, but police believe there were only 300.
Protest against the new fee in Venice
The second smaller protest took place at the railway station. Several dozen people gathered there.
Roger Tallon, who organized the protests, said that initially he wanted to hang a banner with the words “Welcome to Veniceland” on one of the buildings. He was also going to hand out fake tickets to tourists. However, the idea was withdrawn after police intervention.
Demonstrators holding banners with inscriptions “No for tickets” they marched through the city. However, they were eventually detained by the police.
Between uniformed officers and protesters there were clashes, but eventually the demonstrators dispersed. There is no information about any arrests and penalties for protesters.
The protests were supported by the former mayor of Venice. Massimo Cacciari expressed his outrage at the new law in an interview with local media. He suggested to tourists to They ignored “this absurd fee” arguing that they pay several times more for everything anyway.
Venice introduces fees. 5 euros to enter the city
It has been in force in Venice since Thursday a new fee system for tourists who come only for one day. To visit the city you need to book a visit and pay 5 euros.
The fee is an experiment and will be valid for 29 days. This applies to the end of April, all weekends in May and June and mid-July.
Tourists who want to enter the famous city on these days they must register on a special platform and pay a fee. After that, they receive a QR code that must be shown during inspection.
You can also get an admission voucher purchased at a special stand at the railway station and in tobacco shops.
Tourists who have booked accommodation and children up to 14 years of age are exempt from the fee. No other reliefs are provided.
The fine for being in Venice without paying a fee is from 50 to even 300 euros. For now, however, law enforcement services they will use warnings.
The head of the tourism department, Simone Venturini, said that the system will probably require modifications and changes. Its main goal is not to make money, but to reduce the influx of one-day tourists. Research conducted in recent years shows that 20 million tourists visit Venice every year, and only 6 million stay overnight.
Source: “Daily Mail”, “The Guardian”
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