Venice announces tourist tax, Italy tourism minister calls it ‘useless and damaging’

Venice (TAN): Italy’s tourism minister disapproves of a tourist tax that Venice recently announced it would impose on visitors from May this year.

Reports said the entry fee would range between EUR3 and EUR10 depending on the crowd situation in the lagoon. The administration wants visitors to book their tickets in advance.

“It’s the only way to count the number of people visiting Venice,” a report quoted city mayor Luigi Brugnaro as saying. “No one will be denied access, but it will be more complicated for those who don’t book.”

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Gian Marco Centinaio, the country’s tourism minister, however, thinking the step is “useless and damaging”.

“Do we want to become a country that repels tourists?,” he wrote on Twitter.

The entry fee amount is unlikely to deter many visitors from cancelling their trip. The funds generated, however, could be used to provide better infrastructure for not only the millions who visit the lagoon every year but also the people who live there.

“The aim is to improve the quality of life for locals,” Brugnaro said.

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