by Christos Zabounis

StartingThursday, April 25, all visitors to Venice will be required to pay 5 euros when entering the city. Did I say all; Well, not exactly. Excluded are those with hotel reservations and those arriving before 8.30 in the morning and after Wednesday afternoon, on peak days. “Only 5 euros? You have to ask for 100,” observes a Greek shipowner who just acquired a palazzo on the Grand Canal. “It is a first measure, which I hope will be followed by other more radical ones,” answers his interlocutor, Count Gerardo, vice-president of the Club Circolo dell’ unione Venezia. 38,000,000 tourists were counted in 2023, in the city once called “La Serenissima”.

“In the summer you can’t walk in the narrow streets, and if you want to cross Piazza San Marco it will take you half an hour”, our Italian friend gives a illustrative picture. Hmmm. The historic center, which is a museum in itself, is home to just 50,000 residents. The measure of entry ticket on selected dates has provoked strong reactions, mainly from traders and various collectives. The former will lose customers, the latter invoke the universality of the Unesco Monument. To keep things at peace, the mayor decided not to install tourniquets, but to have the control carried out by 200 municipal employees. A good idea for Mykonos and Santorini, when the cruise ships dock.