‘Are we joking?’: Venice residents protest as city starts charging visitors to enter

Day-trippers will have to pay 5 to visit Italian city under scheme designed to protect it from excess tourism

Authorities in Venice have been accused of transforming the famous lagoon city into a theme park" as a long-mooted entrance fee for day trippers comes into force.

Venice is the first major city in the world to enact such a scheme. The 5 (4.30) charge, which comes into force today, is aimed at protecting the Unesco world heritage site from the effects of excessive tourism by deterring day trippers and, according to the mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, making the city livable" again.