The presence of tourists in Venice increased in the first month of the toll of 5 euros that the city municipality implemented to reduce the number of visitors, denounced the association and opposition party ‘Tutta la città insieme’ (the whole city together).
In total there were 60,000 people who walked through the city of canals on Sunday, May 19, about 4,000 more than June 2, 2023a holiday in Italy, as explained by party representatives at the headquarters of the Association of Foreign Journalists in Rome.
“What good is the toll if more tourists registered on the test days than in the same period in previous years, creating a chaos situation in the cityaggravated even more by the controls?” asked Giovanni Andrea Martini, municipal councilor of this Venetian party.
During the almost 30 days of implementation of this rate, no tax has been imposed no fine for non-compliancewhich leads this municipal group to wonder if on the part of the Venetian Consistory “there is no will to sanction,” said Enrico Torto, lawyer and president of the association.
Furthermore, the entity reported that there are up to 28 exceptions to avoid paying 5 euros, and that this toll stops working after 4 p.m., which makes the “invasion of the city” “continuous.”
Invasion of privacy
Among other issues, it was reported that the implementation of this toll represents a “contempt for privacy”, since Venetians and tourists are seen obliged to give the City Council “sensitive data” such as residence, telephone number or email.
They report that to enter you have to give personal information. Photo Cecilia Prophetic“When you accept the processing of this data in the request for the toll or the invitation code for residents, you consent that the City Council stores them for 5 years“Torto explained.
The solution proposed by the group is implement a closed number of visitors for each day which estimated around 50,000 tourists for free.
They also propose making “a educational work“with whoever visits Venice and who creates a climate of respect towards the city and its inhabitantsin line with tourism that, according to the organization, brings more than 80,000 people every day to the city of canals.
St. Mark’s Square. Photo AP Photo/Peter Deilmann Cruises“Venice is not a museumis a city where everyone should be able to live: visitors and residents,” said Martini, alluding to its significant depopulationsince the number of residents has been in free fall for years.
The monumental city, governed by the mayor and businessman Luigi Brugnaro, introduced a toll system on April 25 -in the testing phase- to visit it. in a attempt to contain mass tourism that affects it, although critics consider that this measure is merely revenue-raising.