ROME — Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro answered questions about his city’s new access contribution, designed to manage the influx of tourists, and its associated communication campaign at Rome’s Palazzo Grazioli, the new headquarters of the Association of the Foreign Press in Italy. 

 Venice budget councilor Michele Zuin, tourism councilor Simone Venturini, and the operational director of transportation company Vela SPA Fabrizio D'Oria appeared alongside the mayor. 

 As regards the provision, which originates from the 2019 budget law and was updated in 2021, the mayor explained that its objective is “to define a new management system for tourist flows and to discourage daily tourism in Venice in certain periods, in line with the delicacy and uniqueness of the city, to guarantee it the full respect it deserves.”

 The contribution will be requested only for 29 days this year: April 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, May 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26, June 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30, and July 6, 7, 13 and 14. 

 The objective of the communication campaign is mainly to raise awareness about sustainable tourism. Television and radio films, posters, brochures, websites, blogs and social media are the main means of disseminating the multi-channel tourism communication campaign. 

 “I have the honor of being the mayor of the most beautiful city in the world,” said Mayor Brugnaro, “but which in recent years has had a problem with the quality of life of people, with civility and with respect for regulations. No politician makes a measure like this because it is easier to stand still and not try to find a solution. We try to make the city more usable and livable. This access fee will be a test and the cost will be higher than what we will collect, at least in this year of experimentation which concerns 29 "stressed" days.”

 “The benefit we expect is a few fewer daily visitors,” Brugnaro said during two hours of questions from journalists all over the world.” “It is true that we have given an exemption to the Venetians, who come to visit the city on the same day, but it is also true that introducing a booking could discourage them from coming on those days and therefore make the city less busy.”

 “We reiterate that no one wants to close the city and that if anyone still wants to come in these black days they can do so by paying a contribution of 5 Euros and booking the visit to the city . This will allow us to have real and important data: how many visitors, where they come from, how many exemptions and much more, an important tool for understanding how to organize services. It is not a measure that I take lightly, but if we just keep talking we will never do anything to preserve the delicacy and beauty of Venice. Once this period of experimentation is over, we will have plenty of time to make the reflections that need to be made, to improve and change, with everyone's help." 

 “Venice, 'the oldest city of the future', has demonstrated its ability to interpret new things,” said  - Tourism Councilor Simone Venturini. “It is increasingly necessary to plan and promote quality events, in such a way as to encourage selected tourism, offering the public a series of sustainable events. To those already existing and tested, for example the Venice Carnival, new ones have been added in recent years, such as the Boat Show or the Salone dell'Alto Artigianato Italiano.”

 The budget councilor, Michele Zuin, underlined the uniqueness of this experimentation and the importance of evaluating the effects on the city: "We know that the world is watching us and we are interested in making it clear that the experimentation of these 29 days is important for understand how the city will react given that this is an absolute novelty. The exemptions that were established by the City Council respond to common sense rules to guarantee access to Venice for those who work, study, have loved ones, have health needs or must travel out of necessity to the regional capital, which hosts many functions administrative. Venice is an accessible, open city, but visitors, both national and international, must understand that the right planning is needed to best manage the delicate balance between residentiality and tourism."

 Contribution

 The amount for 2024 is 5.00 Euros per day and there are no reductions. There will not even be the identification of an attendance threshold beyond which to apply an increase in the access fee. The contribution will be applied only to enter to the ancient city and not to the smaller islands including the Lido of Venice (including Alberoni and Malamocco), Pellestrina, Murano, Burano, Torcello, Sant'Erasmo, Mazzorbo, Mazzorbetto, Vignole, S. Andrea, the Certosa , San Servolo, S. Clemente, Poveglia.

 Collection

 The "heart of the system" will be the multi-channel and multilingual platform, created by Venis Spa. The collection will take place directly by the Municipality of Venice, above all through a web-app accessible at the address https://cda.ve.it by accessing which will be able to obtain the title (QR Code) to show in case of checks. The title certifies payment of the contribution or the condition of exclusion/exemption and must always be kept with you. Who will have to pay the access fee Specifically, it has been established that the access fee will have to be paid by every natural person, over the age of 14, who accesses the ancient city of the Municipality of Venice, unless they fall within the exclusion categories and exemptions. Generally speaking, the contribution will be requested from daily visitors who do not stay in facilities located in the Municipality of Venice.

 Payment exclusions and exemptions

 According to the law, residents of the Municipality of Venice, workers (employed or self-employed), including commuters, students of any grade and level of schools and universities located in the ancient city or in the islands will not have to pay the entrance fee. minors, subjects and members of the families of those who appear to have paid the IMU in the Municipality of Venice.

 All those staying in accommodation facilities located within the municipal territory (overnight tourists), residents in the Veneto Region, children up to 14 years of age, those in need of care, those who participate in sports competitions, police forces on duty, spouse, partner, relatives or similar up to the 3rd degree of residents in the areas where the Access fee, and a further series of exemptions provided for in the Regulation.

 Information

On the portal https://cda.ve.it there is a constantly-updated FAQ section. Access to the city Physical gates will be established at the main access points to the city, distinct from priority gates for residents and workers. Stewards will check visitors' QR codes and will be available to help those who do not have one to download the entry ticket on site and pay the fee. Once past the gates, if anyone does not have the access fee they will be fined by the inspectors who will carry out random checks.

Campaign of communication

The objective of the communication campaign will mainly be to inform and raise awareness of sustainable tourism. The 29 days with the red sticker will have the aim of discouraging daily tourists from visiting the city during these peaks, favoring arrival in less crowded periods. Television and radio commercials, posters and flyers, brochures, websites, blogs and social networks: these are the main means of dissemination of the multi-channel tourism communication campaign, based on the claim "but it's true that". Without prejudice to the fact that the city will always be open to visitors, the messages will have the aim of guiding tourists to experience the city in a more aware and usable way, transforming this visit into an experience and also adopting more responsible and sustainable behavior. To remember that tourism also represents an opportunity for individual cultural growth.