Venice Proposes Tourism Congestion Charges

A Crowd in Venice isn’t always comfortable

Answering nature’s call could cost tourists in Venice, Italy, as much as 3 euros during peak travel season. Officials mentioned the price increases on such public services while announcing a new online booking service, according to spokeswoman Cristina Valentini.

Tourists using the new online service can receive discounts by booking tickets for everything from museums fees to parking spaces. "Vaporetto," or "water taxi," rides and even public loos are included in the discounts, Valentini said.

The site will provide a colour-coded calendar so tourists can choose between high season, the most expensive time to visit, versus more economically feasible times of the year. Visitors can select "green days," when the city is virtually empty of tourists, medium traffic "blue days," or the most crowded "red days," she said.

"This is a major step in making tourism in Venice more sustainable," Italian ANSA news service quoted Deputy Mayor Michele Vianello as saying during a press conference in Rome. "Tourists will be able to create their own holiday package including hotels, public services and tickets for museums and other events. And they can pay for this at one time after which they will be given an entry password."

On green days, a typical three-day package for two people will cost 209.30 euros if booked online, compared to 247 euros if paid after arrival, a saving of 31.70 euros, ANSA reported. Blue packages offer savings of 31.10 euros, and three-day red packages will save travelers 20.10 euros by booking online.

The Project, setting up a new integrated platform for tourism flow management, consists of a revolutionary online booking process of main public services as museums, water buses, casino and public wi-fi with an online reduced fare. Tourist flows regulation is the initiative’s aim in order to ensure an higher quality of service and to settle a dynamic calendar for encouraging booking in advance and discouraging last minute travellers. The new e-commerce platform, called Venice Connected and managed by Venis, will offer from 5 to 30% discount on the services and will be available in a Beta version from January 1st.

Through an arrivals trend analysis, COSES (Research and Training Venice Trust) defined a yearly dynamic calendar: where there are green days, low fares will be applied and blue and red ones referring to medium and high fares. The platform will encourage low season booking and distributing tourist flows towards lowcost days.
“We will use the price incentive to manage tourism flows” – declared Vianello – “The booking of a Venice journey will have to be like any other e-commerce service in the world, with an unique bar-code, readable in all entrances and valid in all the services included. Online payment, e-mail or sms notification and PNR code.”

The network will include booking of all journey attractions direct online encouraging those who will arrive in the lagoon already with a reservation, this won’t forbid arrival without it although it will be much more expensive.

Several service providers have already joined the initiative, including various public services such as transports, parking, pharmacies, municipal museums, casino. Other private services are really interested in the project. “The next step will open the platform to whichever of the private providers want to sell their services ensuring a high quality level”, explained Vianello.

The project – said Augusto Salvadori, the Tourism councillor “will be very useful in order to razionalize this sector and to make citizens life easier even to those who are not involved in tourism”

Currently, the site — www.veniceconnected.it — is not up and running, and only offers an explanation in Italian of the planned services.

Valere Tjolle