The canals, its bridges, the works of art and the reputation of being a romantic city, make them come to Venice every year mass tourists from all over the world.
According to official data, 3.2 million tourists They spent the night in the historic center of this Italian town in 2022, a figure that does not include the thousands of visitors who go there just for the day.
This large figure puts the destination at risk. Last year, the UNESCO Heritage Center considered mass tourism, renovation projects and climate change as the main threats to this northern Italian city, damaging building structures and urban areas, degrading cultural and social identity of the northern Italian city.
Tax for tourists
Taking into account the statements made by this United Nations body, the municipality of Venice began to vender tickets for all those who wish to enter the city.
It’s a ticket that costs five euros ($5.5) and is intended as a tax to combat mass tourism during the high season.
Tourists who arrive at this famous destination on certain days between April 25 and July 14, for the daybetween 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., you must buy a ticket to enter the old city.
To see the dates on which you have to pay admission – many of them coincide with Saturdays and Sundays – and to get the tickets, go to cda.ve.it/en. The site is in English and Italian.
There, you can now make your purchase for the aforementioned period or request some of the numerous exemptions.
Who they should not pay They are: minors under 14 years of age, students, members of the security forces, relatives visiting residents of Venice, people who work in the city, participants in a sporting event, among others.
It should be noted that those who visit the destination after 4 p.m. and before 8:30 a.m. the next day, they should not pay this fee.
This project, announced in September, aims to combat saturation of the city that has been part of the Unesco world heritage since 1987 and encourage visitors to avoid periods of high attendance.
However, this plan does not provide no limit of visitors.
“Venice is the first city in the world to implement this system, which can serve as an example for other fragile cities (…) that must be protected,” its mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, declared in November.
Venice at risk
One of the main threats that this destination faces is its sinking in the waters of the Adriatic Sea: it is estimated that the city is currently submerged between 0.5 mm and 1 mm per year, mainly due to the rise in sea level due to climate change.
It is estimated that if measures are not taken, the Italian city could to vanish in 2100.
Venice has a defense system to limit the entry of waters, but according to UNESCO, it is insufficient to ensure its survival.
Other threats to this heritage are the construction projects of skyscrapers and the excavation of deep canals at the mouths of the port – a risk for the ecosystem – that facilitates the entry of big cruises.
Those who defend the delicate ecological system of the lagoon point out that the large waves generated by large ships will end up eroding the foundations of Venice’s medieval buildings.
Therefore, in August 2021, large cruise ships were prohibited from sailing to the center.