Tourists in Venice
“I’m annoyed – but I understand!”
Saturday morning in Venice, day three of the test phase for entrance fees to the city of gondolas and bridges. The Nightjet from Vienna will arrive at Santa Lucia station in a few minutes. The "Krone" is on board and has taken a look at how things work in "Venezialand".
Inspectors in their orange vests are standing by. They will check whether the tourists that the train is about to disgorge have registered or paid. This is possible at a total of 15 checkpoints across the lagoon city. One of the largest is near Santa Lucia, and the terminus of the airport bus is also very close by.
Everyone here has their cell phone in their hand, some are better prepared than others. Those who don't have a code are welcomed at a covered counter. On the left, cashiers wait for day visitors, on the right there are machines and printers for exceptions.
"Salzburg is discussing this too"
Ms. Elizabeth is lucky. She arrived in Venice before the start of the entrance fees and registration. She is heading back to Schlierbach today: "Salzburg is discussing this too," she remembers. "The day tourists come, bring the garbage and then leave again, I understand that." Will the proceeds bring the city anything? "With the millions, something should come together."
However: in the first two days, Venice was the first city in the world to charge almost 200,000 euros in fees. With around 14 million visitors a year, it could be a new beginning. The city is drowning in water, many of the palazzi and houses are in need of renovation - until now there has always been a lack of money.
Ernst from the Salzkammergut region has traveled to Venice with his wife. This is not the pensioner couple's first time in the gondola city. He finds the price of the day trip more than justified. "Skiing in Austria is much more expensive." He knows the effects of mass tourism only too well. "The tourists in Hallstadt come into the garden and look right into the bedroom. Where does it stop? At some point it's just too much. Of course, tourism is an important business, but there are limits."
"I'm annoyed - but something has to be done"
Sybille has traveled by train from Berlin. She registers for a day ticket on her cell phone during our conversation. "As you can see, I'm annoyed," she laughs. In the end, her understanding for the experiment prevails. "Something has to be done. Everything costs money. There don't need to be so many tourists here. I'm not a touristy person, I think five euros is good so that the city can do something for the environment. The organization might be a bit annoying with all the data you have to provide." She taps her cell phone one last time. "Now then!"
The mayor of Venice has already apologized for organizational mishaps in the first few days.
Across the Grand Canal, gondolas chug through the waterways, with boat cabs and vaparettos in between. Lorenzo and his girlfriend from Verona are also traveling with a code. "It's better for the city, maybe not for the visitors, but you have a choice." Anyone walking through the city without a QR code will be fined between 25 and 300 euros.
50,000 inhabitants versus 14 million tourists
Claudio, who is waiting for friends with his wife in Piazzale Roma, is worried about whether the city will use the money collected properly and is skeptical. "I really hope that this money is invested in the preservation of Venice and not lost in other ways."
70 information boxes draw attention to the new measure, and 130 city employees are on duty every day, providing information, checking and scanning the QR codes. Venice is fighting back - its 50,000 inhabitants face 14 million tourists per year.
"No grandi Navi" - "No big ships" can be read again and again on graffiti or flags hoisted by residents. They are an allusion to the ban on cruise ships docking in the city, which will no longer be allowed to call at the city directly from 2021. This is because the waves caused by the giant liners threatened the foundations of the old buildings.
Citizen protests also called for an end to this mass tourism. With the five euros per day tourist, the most visited city in the world has opened a new chapter.
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