A proposal by the new mayor of Venice, Simone Venturini, regarding a possible significant increase in the entrance fee for day-trippers to the northern Italian city of canals has sparked a debate.
"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," the newspaper Corriere della Sera quoted him as saying on Friday.
Venturini emerged victorious as the centre-right candidate in the local elections at the end of May, succeeding Luigi Brugnaro, who had served as the city’s mayor for a decade.
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.
During the election campaign, Venturini proposed increasing the entry fee on certain days when particularly large numbers of day trippers are expected.
However, he does not have the power to raise the entry fee. Whilst 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 expressed legal concerns in the Corriere della Sera, saying that charging €50 could be interpreted as a restriction on freedom of movement.
