Venice to increase tourism charges as it cracks down on overcrowding

Engaged in a constant battle against tourism overcrowding, Venice will increase charges to day trip visitors in 2025.

The move follows a ‘successful’ trial this past summer, news portal Travel Mole reports.

The Italian city will nearly double the number of "peak tourism" days it charges tourists an entrance fee, the city’s mayor said.

The €5 fee is payable to enter the city as a day tripper on busy days between April and July. The fee is payable in advance but rises to €10 if booked fewer than four days before a visit.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said the measure aims to spread out tourist visits to quieter off-season days "to give Venice the respect it deserves".

The fee was payable on 29 days in 2024, which were mostly weekends and public holidays. There will be 54 chargeable days from April 18 to July 27 in 2025:  every Friday through Sunday and every public holiday.

All day trip visitors over 14 years old must pay the fee.

The fee can be paid online and a QR code confirmation is generated which may be checked by inspectors within the city.

Travellers staying overnight with hotel or other accommodation bookings are exempt.

“Venice has gone from being the city most exposed to over-tourism, to being the city that is reacting to this phenomenon the earliest and most proactively,” said city councillor Simone Venturini.

Seating free for all may be coming to an end

An American airline that is notorious for it's free-for-all seating policy is considering changes.

And the reason, you've guessed it, is money.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is known for its open single-class seating policy but could be changing, Travel Mole reports.

Southwest has one economy class cabin with no pre-assigned seating and mostly open boarding. 

Passengers are allocated to one of three boarding groups and it is then first come, first seated, unless you opt to pay a fee for early boarding.

Otherwise it is a bunfight as passengers try to save premium seats for their friends and anyone late boarding on a fuller flight gets a dreaded middle seat.

"Once onboard, simply choose any available seat and stow your carryon items in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you," the airline's website says

Now Southwest CEO Bob Jordan has said the airline is looking at changes.

“We’re looking into new initiatives, things like the way we seat and board our aircraft,” Jordan said this week.

Although, it touts its "simple and user-friendly" seating policy, this restricts the carrier's ability to make more money from fees.

Jordan said a review of passenger seating has resulted in "interesting" results.

“Customer preferences do change over time,” Jordan said.

While rival US airlines, including Delta and United, have introduced fee-paying choices for priority boarding, extra legroom seating, exit rows and others, Southwest has remained steadfast in its simple seating policy with no premium options.

But money talks. Stay tuned.

Getting greedy backfires on Bhutan tourism

The mountainous Asian kingdom of Bhutan has long been one of the most expensive places for travellers - with huge fees imposed on visitors to deter mass tourism.

But now Bhutan is having second thoughts on gouging travellers after its travel industry failed to bounce back as hoped post Covid.

Following the pandemic shutdown, the Bhutan tourist fee was increased to US$200 per night, up from US$65.

The kingdom has now revised what it calls the ‘Sustainable Development Fee’ down to US$100 as of September 1, the South China Morning Post reported.

“This is in view of the important role of the tourism sector in generating employment, and earning foreign,” a government statement said.

It comes in time for the peak tourist period when the country hosts many Buddhist festivals.

Prior to the pandemic, Bhutan welcomed over 300,000 visitors annually. The kingdom only began allowing visitors in 1974.

Bhutan hopes to raise the contribution of tourism to its economy by 20%. It currently is about 5%.

Dorji Dhradhul, director general of the Department of Tourism, said the halving of the fee could boost arrivals in the September-December period.

Extra fees a growing scandal in the "hospitality" industry

Do you check your hotel bill carefully before checking out?

More than ever you should now do so religiously.

And if you have been hit with spurious charges for facilities you did not use then you should hit back.

In the US, and where the US leads the rest of the world follows, hotels are increasing imposing what are known as "junk fees" to hotel bills, often without prior notice.

Global Travel Media - an online news service - has been highlighting this plague of greed.

It reported one guest found a completely unwarranted $20 “Daily Mandatory Destination Charge” on his bill.

Hotel "resort charges" were supposed to have disappeared after the US government declared war on junk fees earlier this year.

Instead, hotels have just re-badged the charges.

In Las Vegas, for instance, if you stay at the upmarket Bellagio, you will be charged $US51.02 per night per accommodation as a "resort fee". 

This includes fitness centre access, internet access and phone calls.

Given most folk have a cell phone and most would not want to use the gym that sounds outrageous. 

At Caesar's Palace it is $US52.10 per night, with the added inclusion of access to the hotel pool.  

Wherever you are staying, if you were not advised of the extra charges in advance then my advice would be to refuse to pay them. Demand the manager come to reception and strike those charges off, write "paid under duress" on your credit card form, or take to social media to call them out.

If a hotel room is advertised at $129 per night, that is what you should pay, not $129 plus $25 charges for stuff you did not want or use.

Randy Greencorn, publisher of ResortFeeChecker.com - in the US there is a website for absolutely everything, except perhaps rearing aardvarks as pets - has some advice.

“Hotels have gotten creative in their terminology,” he told Global Travel Media. “A resort fee is sometimes called a destination fee, administrative fee, cleaning fee, service fee or utility fee.

"Some hotels now charge towel fees, bed sheet fees and concierge fees. These are all mandatory fees on top of the room rate and taxes.”

Time to stand up for your rights people. 

Or just choose a hotel that doesn't gouge you.  

Image: Jukari Zamora, Scop.io

Another tourism hotspot plans to tax visitors

Regular readers will have noticed a trend towards destinations imposing taxes on the visitors they try so hard to attract.

From entry taxes to bed taxes, holiday destinations are increasingly looking for their pound of financial flesh from tourists.

The South Korean resort island of Jeju - known for its many beach resorts - is the latest spot investigating new ways to gouge visitors.

It is one of the country’s top leisure destinations and is predominately visited by domestic tourists, although its popularity is growing with foreigners.

Local officials noted Jeju's popularity has led to growing garbage and sewage issues, Travel Mole reports.

Jeju is contemplating a number of different series of tourist fees, including imposing an entry fee.

It also is planning a KRW1,500 ($AU1.50) fee per night, while visitors renting a car or minivan will pay KRW5,000 and KRW10,000 respectively.

Officials at Jeju Special Self-Governing Province said the average total tourist fee would be around KRW8,170 per day, which is a fairly hefty $9.20.