Venice’s attempt to combat overtourism by introducing a tourist tax has been slammed as a “resounding failure” as thousands still flock to the city.
The fee was introduced last month, and since then the number of tourists has actually grown by 5,000, according to city councillor Giovanni Andrea Martini.
Martini said the action, brought in by mayor Luigi Brugnaro, has “resoundingly failed” as the city still grapples with overtourism.
He said: “On Sunday, we had 70,000 visitors, compared with 65,000 on an equivalent day in the same period last year. This was a measure that was heralded as a way of reducing tourist arrivals but it has resoundingly failed.”
The five euro payment is a world first and applies to people taking day trips to Venice on 29 days between the end of April and mid-July. Those who stay for at least one night are exempt but have to register online before arrival.
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Martini said: “The numbers show that the ticket has not in any way reduced the influx of tourists. In fact, the numbers are higher than last year. It is useless and damaging. It has not saved the soul of the city.
“Venice has been treated as the goose that lays the golden eggs. Private business interests have been placed above the interests of inhabitants.”
On top of opposition from officials, a survey by Fondazione ICU revealed that 89 percent of Venetians in the historic centre were against the tax, calling it flawed for having too many exemptions.
For example, if you live in Veneto, the region around Venice, you do not have to pay the fee, but this population makes up a large number of the day trippers.
It has also been called an invasion of privacy as those who register online must give their personal details and disclose exactly where they are staying.
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Mayor Brugnaro said: “The majority of people have understood that we want to protect the city. It is a measure that can be corrected or improved if necessary. No one is pretending that it is not difficult, but we are trying to find solutions.”
Campaigners have said the only way to curb tourism is to introduce a cap on the number of people allowed in – suggesting 50,000 a day as the maximum as opposed to the 80,000 the city currently sees.
While this is a short-term solution, they said the long-term focus should be on reducing its population, which has decreased from 140,000 to 49,000 since the 1950s.
They are also calling for new businesses and more low-cost housing for locals, at the same time reducing the number of rental apartments through zoning laws and higher property taxes.
Martini said: “Venice users from social desertication. There are whole districts that have been emptied of Venetians. If this trend continues then it is a mathematical certainty that the city will die. We need to bring them back to restore the social fabric. A living city is the only way to stem the advance of mass tourism.”
The tourist tax is set to be reviewed in July. A council spokesperson told The Telegraph: “The first few days have shown that the system has worked better than expected in terms of organisation and checks. It is a long-term project and it would be wrong to think that all the problems linked to overtourism can be solved in 15 days.”
