Venice may charge significantly higher entrance fees for tourists under a proposal by the city's new mayor, as popular places around the world seek ways to cap the number of visitors in peak season.
"If it currently stands at between €5 and €10 [$5.73-$11.46], my proposal is to raise it to between €30 and €50 on certain days," says Mayor Simone Venturini, according to Corriere della Sera newspaper.
This year, Venice is charging short-stay visitors €10 for a ticket on a total of 60 days up to the end of July - even if they are only spending a few hours in the streets around St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge. Those who book at least three days in advance pay €5.
The aim of the measure is to curb mass tourism. But critics have been arguing for some time that the current entry fee does little to deter anyone from coming to Venice.
Italians are now debating the possible benefits and problems associated with such a significant increase in the entrance fee for day-trippers to the northern Italian city of canals.
Venturini emerged victorious as the centre-right candidate in May's local elections, succeeding Luigi Brugnaro, who had served as the city’s mayor for a decade.
During the election campaign, Venturini proposed increasing the entry fee on certain days when particularly large numbers of day trippers are expected.
But the price hike is not inevitable.
The mayor does not have the power to raise the entry fee. While the fee was introduced by a municipal by-law, the upper limit was set by national law. Venturini must therefore consult the government in Rome.
Constitutional law expert Ludovico Mazzarolli has legal concerns, he told Corriere della Sera, saying that charging €50 could be interpreted as a restriction on freedom of movement.
