VICENZA, Italy – Venice – the world-famous city of canals, Casanova, and cicchetti – now costs some day-trippers a €5 tourist tax, but not U.S. military families stationed in Vicenza.
Anna Ciccotti, a public affairs specialist at U.S. Army Garrison-Italy addressed the tax during the May 22 Community & Leader Information Forum at Caserma Ederle’s Golden Lion Conference Center. The fee is for 29 dates through July 14, she said.
“There is good news,” Ciccotti said. “There are many exemptions.”
For example, Veneto region residents are exempt. Military personnel and their families at USAG Italy can register using Caserma Ederle avoid the fee, said Ciccotti, who confirmed this with local authorities.
“These individuals will still need their identification cards and the QR code for their reservation, as local police will conduct spot checks,” said Ciccotti, adding that authorities have database access to verify people claiming Caserma Ederle.
The registration website is user friendly, Ciccotti said. Name, address, date of birth and an email are required, she said.
“We tested it,” she said. “It walks you through every step to register your visit.”
The rollout of the tourist tax came after Venice narrowly escaped being placed on UNESCO’s danger list last year because of the damage from overtourism. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said that the fee is not an attempt to bring in extra revenue. Rather, it is a ‘first-of-its-kind experiment’ to regulate tourist flows in one of the world’s most-visited places.
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Without the code, violators face fines up to €300. If family not assigned to USAG Italy are visiting, they still must pay. Once registered, a QR code is saved to your phone. Anyone above age 14 must have it. Reservations are from 8:30 in the morning to 4:30 p.m.
Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnano implemented the tax on April 25 and it will last through July 14, according to a recent report from Il Giornale di Vicenza, the local Italian newspaper. Italian media recently reported Venice collected €1 million in the first month. The fee was designed to curtail the damages of over-tourism. For more information visit https://www.veneziaunica.it/en
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