Traveling to Venice this Summer?
Traveling to Venice this Summer? Are you Aware of the New Tourist Tax?
As of April 25, daytrippers to Venice are required to register with the Venice city council and pay a tourist tax. Those staying overnight in Venice, will be exempt from paying the entry fee provided they have a confirmed reservation, but will still be required to register with city council.
Here's what you need to know about each regulation.
As of now the "entry fee" only applies to anyone visiting Venice for the day, and is only enforced on certain days between April 25 and July 14. The tourist tax cost 5 euros (about $5.45).
The Venice tourism tax won't apply to hotel guests, children under 14, and visitors traveling to Venice's lagoon islands, including Murano and Burano. However, if you're arriving at these locations via vaporetto ferries from the city center, you will still be required to pay the tax.
What dates will the Venice tourist tax be active?
Visitors will be required to pay the day tax on the following dates, between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:00 pm:
April 25-30
May 1-5
May 11-12
May 18-19
May 25-26
June 8-9
June 15-16
June 22-23
June 29-30
July 6-7
July 13-14
How to Prepay the Daytripper Tourist Tax
Prior to arriving in Venice you must book and pay the tax via the Venice city council's online booking platform.
Once you're on the site, you need to click "Payment of the Fee," which will take you to a site signposted by Venezia Unica. This is the official tourism site for Venice, and you should not pay this fee anywhere else.
Once you've accessed this area of the website, you'll be able to select your travel dates and the number of people you are traveling with, including children. As noted above, kids younger than 14 won't be charged.
You'll then be prompted to enter the names of the travelers in your group. Once paid, you will receive an email with your booking details and a QRcode. Print out this document and make sure to keep it on you at all times, to show authorities should you be asked during your visit.
Should you need to cancel your visit, you can do so up to 11:59 pm the day before you're due to arrive.
How to Register for Exemption
Those staying overnight in Venice can register for an exemption on the city council website. It'll ask you for an exemption reason before you give the dates of your visit, personal details and contact information. Once processed, you will receive a QR code to show to authorities if asked during your visit.
Why is Venice introducing a tourist tax?
The rollout of the tourist tax comes after Venice narrowly escaped being placed on UNESCO's danger list last year because of the damages from over tourism.
Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro said that the fee is not an attempt to bring in extra revenue. Rather, it is a 'first-of-its-kind experiment' to regulate tourist flows in one of the world’s most-visited places.
The aim of the charge is to incentivise visitors to avoid high-traffic periods and come on other days.
“Our attempt is to make a more livable city,” he said.