04/23/2022 12:45 (act 04/23/2022 12:45)
Tourists must make online reservations to visit Venice. ©Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP
In summer, the city of Venice wants to oblige tourists to book their tours to the old town online in advance. Italy’s Minister of Culture welcomes the plans.
Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini welcomes Venice’s plans to introduce mandatory reservations for tourists from the summer.
Minister of Culture for mandatory reservation for tourists in Venice
“The systems for regulating access to cities of art are correct. Each municipality must decide the best path for itself,” said the minister, according to Milanese daily Corriere della Sera (Sunday edition).
“Congestion in art cities is a real problem in Italy, which existed before the start of the pandemic, is now reappearing and will continue to grow,” said Franceschini, who opened the Venice Art Biennale on Friday.
Tourists must book the Venice tour online in advance
The city of Venice wants to oblige tourists to book their excursion to the old town in advance until the summer. Starting in 2023, visitors must buy a ticket to visit parts that are on the water, such as the historic center, said Venice Tourism Commissioner Simone Venturini. The city wants to announce in the coming weeks when free online booking will be required. The municipality wants to be able to better plan in advance how many people will be in the city.
Online booking for “balanced tourist management”
According to media reports, hundreds of thousands of visitors were in Venice around Easter. Long lines formed at popular attractions like St. Mark’s Basilica. “Venice tourism is starting again,” Mayor Luigi Brugnaro wrote on Twitter on Easter Monday. “Today, many have understood that booking for the city is the right path for balanced tourism management,” he continued.