VENICE: Venice launched a new scheme on Thursday to charge day-trippers for entering the historic Italian city, a world first intended to ease the pressure of mass tourism — but many residents are opposed.

Visitors entering the Unesco World Heritage site for the day have to buy a five-euro ($5.3) ticket, with inspectors carrying out spot checks at key entry points.

Considered one of the most beautiful cities on the planet, Venice is one of the world’s top tourist destinations — but is drowning under the weight of the crowds.

Around 10,000 tickets had been sold by the time the scheme began at 8:30am on Thursday, according to Simone Venturini, the local councillor responsible for tourism.

Under a trial system, the “Venice Access Fee” is being introduced on 29 busy days throughout 2024, mostly weekends from May to July. Thursday is a public holiday in Italy. There is no limit to the number of tickets available. Instead, the goal is to try to persuade day-trippers to visit during quieter times.

“I think it’s good, because it will perhaps slow down the numbers of tourists in Venice,” said Sylvain Pelerin, a French tourist who has been visiting for more than 50 years. Overnight visitors, who already pay a tourist tax, will be exempt, as will minors under the age of 14 among others.

But not everyone is happy, with some residents set to protest against a measure they say curbs fundamental rights to freedom of movement.

“This is not a museum, it’s not a protected ecological area, you shouldn’t have to pay — it’s a city,” Marina Dodino from the local residents association ARCI, said.

Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, has said the new scheme is “an experiment”, monitored with “very soft controls” and “without queues”.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024