A gondola plies the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. The city is charging day-trippers a 5-euro tax on certain days in an effort to limit tourism, but U.S. military families stationed in Vicenza can request an exemption. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
U.S. military families stationed in Vicenza, Italy, who want to make a day trip to Venice can spend their money on things other than the city’s 5-euro experimental tourism fee, according to garrison officials.
As Veneto region residents, they are eligible for an exemption and just need to enter “Caserma Ederle” in the address field of the form on the city’s fee payment website, U.S. Army Garrison Italy spokeswoman Anna Ciccotti said Wednesday.
Those living off base in the Veneto region can also use their street address. Family and friends who are not assigned to U.S Army Garrison Italy are required to pay the fee, as are service members stationed in other parts of Italy, Army officials said.
Between now and the mid-July end of the test phase for the tourism fee, there are 12 dates on which it will be charged for people over 14 who visit from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tourists walk across St Mark's Square in Venice, Italy. The city is charging day-trippers a 5-euro tax on certain days in an effort to curb overtourism. U.S. military families stationed in Vicenza can request an exemption from the tax. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
The days remaining in the fee assessment period are June 8-9, June 15-16, June 22-23, June 29-30, July 6-7 and July 13-14.
Once users of the website are registered, they will receive a QR code by email. Local police do spot checks, so exempt day-trippers need to have their identification card and QR code with them.
Without the documentation, they face fines up to 300 euros.
More than 13 million people visited Venice in 2023, according to the city. The tax is meant to manage the flow of tourists and generate income from day-trippers. Overnight guests already pay a city tax as part of their hotel fee.
The tourism tax pilot program took effect April 25. In the first 11 days the fee was collected, it brought in nearly $1.08 million, according to city data. But so far, the fee has not reduced tourist numbers.
“The entry ticket measure in Venice has failed miserably because the numbers count and they say that the ticket has in no way lowered the flow of tourists or staggered the arrivals, but instead the arrivals are numerically superior with respect to previous years,” City Council member Giovanni Andrea Martini said at a news conference earlier this month, various news outlets reported.
