Venice & Tourist Tax
Have you been to Venice? Did you know now that Venice has won approval to introduce an entry fee of up to €10 (£9; $11.50) for short-stay tourists?
It is expected to be set at €2.50 to €5 per person, but at peak times in the summer it could rise to €10. Venice plans to have the tax in place for the 2019 high season. It will apply only to tourists, but it is not clear whether it will replace a city tax already levied on hotel occupants. I’m sure I will be getting lots of calls from customers who have booked into a Venice hotel stay about this and at present we don’t have the answer.
Hundreds of cruise ships moor in Venice every year, allowing over a million passengers to see the city’s sights. This can only be good for the country and particularly for Venice.
Apparently Venetians have long complained that mass tourism is swamping the city, adored for its picturesque canals. I’ve been and it is beautiful there but I don’t see why the locals should complain. Any country should be proud of tourism and the money generated for the locals. If the cruise ships didn’t bring so many people, would Venice have as many passengers just from rail or air? I’m not sure and if they don’t then surely they would be losing money so to me it doesn’t make sense.
Cruise passengers are easily identified, Italian officials say, but it may prove harder to tax day-trippers arriving by air, road or rail. I kind of agree that you can identify most cruise passengers, half get off the ship with their lanyard around their neck so yeah it give us away.
They say that Local residents, workers and students will be exempt. For years there have been protests by Venetians who say mass tourism is spoiling the city’s character and I totally disagree with this. What do they want? No tourists, so no spending money in their shops and their excursions? I think they’re being spoilt brats who need a reality check. If you live in a tourist area, that attracts tourists for it’s sights then you need to expect tourists. Let’s face it all tourists spend money there.
I don’t agree with the tourist tax and it may just be enough to put passengers off and what if cruise ships then refused to enter Venice if they had too many complaints from their passengers? Would their economy drop and invite us back? I believe it should be a free world and we shouldn’t have to pay for entry tax and visa’s but that’s another debate.
Let me know what you think and if you would pay the tax to enter as short stay tourist?
13 Comments on “Venice & Tourist Tax”
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I'm Steve, I've spent nearly Sixteen years in travel. Working for a big high street travel agent before moving to be a Cruise specialist homeworker. I've visited some amazing places through out the world. My personal favourite place has to be the United States of America. Having been no fewer…
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I guess you really dont understand what they want in venice.
This is not good news for Venice, I’m not sure they have a case for charging day passengers from cruise lines, they only spend a few hours there, usually arriving in the morning and leaving at night.
Sounds like someone thought this would be a good idea, hopefully it backfires on them.
The next question, will cruise lines put up prices to cover this cost and it will be massaged into the total cruise cost.
It would be interesting to ask all the local traders if they think it’s a good idea if cruise ships cut the city from their itinerary
I feel Vienna will regret instigating this ridiculous tax, I for one, on principal, will not visit, tourists in many countries of the world greatly improve that country’s economy with their visit and many countries rely on tourism. Think carefully Vienna, it could backfire on you!
I think this is disgusting Tourist Tax ?? If this is coming in I will have been to Venice for the last time, shame on Venice to even think of doing this ???????????
Absolutely. Don’t blame them. Staying in hotels in Europe incurs tourist tax so why shouldn’t a beautiful city like Venice benefit from the thousands of tourists which visit there.
I have to add that the tax should be used to enhance the stability and structure of the island for future generations.
No I will not pay the tourist tax, have already visited on 6 occasions during cruises and found Venice to be already grossly over priced. Future visits shall be an additional day onboard.
Nor shall I ever start or finish a cruise from Venice, just as I did when Turkey imposed a tax if you arrived by ship and left by plane, or vice versa, they missed out with ships moving to Dubrovnik. Hence no weekly berthing fees at start and completion of a cruise, or stay & cruise tourists, their loss is Croatia’s gain.
A few years of cruise ships missing out Venice on their trips may bring a change of heart, money talks in tourist centres.
One assume there is already a port duty for entry of ships that moor up which is no doubt reflected in passengers costs for the cruise thus should be more than enough ! Also prices in restaurants and shops brings in valuable funds to the economy of Venice which is know doubt taxed locally Really the Venetian need to be careful or the city will sink ! Literally and figuratively! Poor move
Hundreds of cruise ships moor in Venice every year, allowing over a million passengers to see the city’s sights. This can only be good for the country and particularly for Venice.
Absolute nonsense. Most of them spend little or anything . Cruise ships are wrecking Venice and other cities such as Barcelona.
Passengers won’t even notice a charge of €2.50, or even €10 per day. It will be just another fee (like mooring charges), which cruise lines must pay, every time they enter a port. €10 will be peanuts in comparison to the total cost of the cruise, so the cruise lines will merely reflect the cost in your fare .
I’ve just come back from an Indian Ocean cruise and Zanzibar charged US$50 for a visa to visit the island for a few hours – I decided to stay on board. You would think they would want tourists to visit their island and spend money.
I don’t agree. The ships are ruining Venice. They should be made to dock away from the city and tender in. The sight of a humungus ship docked next to this ancient and precious gem is appalling. Its not about the locals complaining its about preservation of the worlds antiquities. Many locations around the world limit visitors to preserve these wonderful examples of previous societies and civilisations.
On this note I wonder for what reason we just paid 35 dollars a night tourist tax in Fort Lauderdale whilst waiting for our ship…. definitely no history or culture there!
It seems more and more places are adding taxes. There would be no point if they had the cruise ship tax instead of the hotel tax, which so they must be having both. We have been to venice a number of times so won’t be doing it again especial with another charge,!!!
I am afraid that I am one of the party-poopers who actually think that the cruise ships should not really enter the lagoon. They are doing untold damage to the lagoon and to Venice itself.
It has to be realised that Venice is an extremely important historic gem and the upkeep to stop it disappearing and to constantly repair costs an extortionate amount. If people want to visit because of it’s history and beauty I am sure that they would not mind paying extra to be privileged enough to experience it.