As the travel industry grapples with an increased demand in travel in the wake of the pandemic, Venice is looking to charge an entry fee for travelers as a way to limit the number of visitors, according to a Monday (Aug. 23) report from CNBC.
Aimed at controlling tourism, the measures, which include requiring travelers to book ahead of time, pay a fee and enter Venice through electronic turnstiles could begin in the summer of 2022, according to the report. Entry fees would range between $3.52 and $11.73, depending to the season. Fees would not apply to residents, their relatives, children under age 6 or people staying in local hotels.
See more: Booking Holdings Sees 59 Pct Hike In Room Nights Driven By US, EU Travelers
Venice is not the only city seeing an increase in visitors since the start of the pandemic. As PYMNTS reported earlier this month, Booking Holdings’ second-quarter room nights jumped 59 percent as compared to the first quarter of 2021. The company said the increase was driven in large part by the domestic and international booking trends in Europe following an increase in vaccination rates and loosening of travel restrictions.
The company’s second-quarter gross travel bookings were $22 billion — a spike of 852 percent from the prior-year quarter during the early stages of the pandemic.
Even with pent-up demand for travel, air travel has been slower to rebound. In May 2021 air travel was down more than 60 percent as compared to May 2019, PYMNTS reported. International demand in May 2021 was more than 85 percent lower compared to May 2019.
Read more: Air Travel Up In May But Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels
Despite travelers exercising caution when flying internationally, Venice has seen up to 80,000 visitors per day, according to CNBC. Large crowds have contributed to traffic congestion on its narrow roads and waterways.
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