Updated on November 30, 2022 by Axel Hernborg

Axel Hernborg

Venice, Italy is a historic city that is a particularly popular tourist destination. This is an enchanting, dreamy, and romantic city, with an undercurrent of mystery and drama. The economy of Venice like the economies of other European cities such as Barcelona, Prague, and others also grew to rely heavily on tourism. Now the city is exposed to the side effects of the Covid-19 pandemic because the pandemic crushed the tourism industry in Venice and other over-touristed cities. But the city sees this as an opportunity to rethink a “tourism monoculture.”

There’s a new feeling and perception many residents and local travel operators are sharing. This Covid-19 crisis has created an opportunity to make future travel more sustainable. Travel and tourism authorities and other associated people such as holidaymakers, investors, and other people involved in the tourism industry management are thinking about how to make tourism less taxing and more beneficial to urban infrastructure and for its local inhabitants. For Venice, it is a precious occasion to rethink tourism.

Covid-19 and Tourism Industry of Venice

Venice is relaxed and unique in times of Covid-19. After relaxation in Covid-19 restrictions, tourists returned to Venice, but far fewer than in recent years before the pandemic. In 2020’s coronavirus pandemic summer, the city sorely missed its visitors. But the city was more concerned about the safety standards and restrictions of Covid-19, that’s why the city restricted international visitors to overcome the spread of Coronavirus. In 2020, tourists from the US and China were not allowed to enter the country (Italy). But many Italians came to the lagoon city for a short vacation.

Pre and Post Pandemic Trends

  1. The Italian authorities have decided to impose certain limitations to decrease the large number of tourists visiting Venice every day. 
  2. It has been revealed in 2022 that all those visitors who wish to visit Venice will be required to book a ticket online.
  3. The ticket price will be €5 and will be valid for one day only. In this way, Venice is intended to reduce the number of tourists.
  4. According to the deputy mayor for social welfare, tourism, and economic development in the city of Venice, Simone Venturini, by imposing limitations, the aim is to discourageone-day tourism and at the same time encourage slower tourism. 
  5. The authorities have set such a short validity on the tickets in order to reduce the number of visitors since Venice is considered a vulnerable place.
  6. In recent years, along with a yearly staggering increase in the number of visitors to the city of Venice, the way of visiting the city has changed.
  7. Many tourists now come to Venice on a day/hour trip, as part of a cruise.
  8. Social, logistic, economic, and touristic aspects of the city are dramatically modified. 
  9. Venice’s local authorities have also closed the main access to the historical centres as well as equipped the city with 500 cameras, which will be used to monitor the movement of visitors.

    10. Contribution of Venice Tourism

  10. The Venice tourism industry is booming for the past decades with the help of the ever-increasing offering of low-cost travel transportation, housing, and planning in the city. 
  11. In 2019 Venice generated tourism revenue of 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion), with 30% from day-trippers.
  12. The year 2019 alone counted over 1.5 billion international arrivals.
  13. The number of international tourist arrivals in La Serenissima – as the city is nicknamed – increased in 2021 over the previous year, after declining sharply in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 
  14. Overall, inbound tourist arrivals in Venice totaled nearly 1.4 million in 2021, rising from 922 thousand in 2020 but remaining below the peak of 4.8 million inbound arrivals recorded in 2019.
  15. International tourism is a very important resource for the city’s tourism sector, as inbound travelers account for most of the total tourist arrivals in Venice. 
  16. The United States was the leading international tourist market in Venice in 2019. 
  17. During the health crisis, Germany emerged as the new leading inbound market in 2020 and 2021.
  18. In 2021, arrivals by German travelers totaled 271 thousand, rising from 184 thousand in 2020 and almost catching up with pre-pandemic levels. 
  19. Arrivals from the United States roughly tripled in 2021, they only accounted for around 18 percent of the figure recorded in 2019.
  20. In 2021, the number of domestic travelers in Venice also increased, and the highest number of domestic visitors came from the neighboring region of Lombardy. 
  21. In 2021 domestic tourist arrivals from Lombardy added up to 167 thousand, even surpassing the figure reported in 2019.
  22. In 2014, the revenue per available room (RevPAR) of hotels in Venice amounted to 206.5 euros and in 2019, it rose to 226.5 euros. 
  23. In 2014, the ADR of hotels in Venice city amounted to roughly 305 euros whereas, in 2019, the ADR peaked at 347.3 euros.

    24. Tourism Industry Insight

  24. Tourism is the economic pillar of Venice. 
  25. 14 million visitors come to the lagoon city of Venice each year, 
  26. Venice is the most visited city in Italy after Rome.
  27. About 4 million visitors stay overnight in the city. 
  28. Some 10 million visitors are day visitors who often don’t spend a whole lot of money in the city and who merely visit the Piazza San Marco and its Basilica.
  29. Boosted by tourism, the arts and crafts flourish in Venice, Burano, Murano, and the surrounding islands. 
  30. Souvenirs are willingly bought and are available at all levels of price and quality.

    31. Useful Trends and Statistics for tourists

  31. December is a wonderful month to visit Venice because crowds are about half as compared to summer, and decorations add to the holiday atmosphere.
  32. Month-by-month breakdown of tourist nights or “occupancies is January (585,168), February (709,285), March (926,135), April (1,168,451), May (1,242,135), June (1,329,515), July (1,417,224), August (1,447,038), September (1,384,529), October (1,349,695), November (779,296), and December (610,048). 
  33. The busiest and least busy months for international visitors are August and January while the busiest and least busy months for Italian tourists are April and January.
  34. The overnight stays by foreigners build steadily from spring until late summer and drop off gradually in September and October. 
  35. Italian tourist occupancies peak in April and fall sharply in May.
  36. Modes of transportation of visitors to Venice are approximately was this, 53% of arrivals were via plane, 27% via train, 16% via Car/Motorcycle, 2% by bus, 1 % by Cruise ship, 1% by Motor vessel from seaside towns and 1% used some other mode of transportation. 
  37.  Foreigners represent 86.5% of tourist arrivals, compared to 13.5% for Italians.
  38. Of the visitors who stayed in Venice during 2019, 3,768,000 chose hotels or B&Bs and 1,756,000 stayed in other accommodations such as vacation apartments, hostels, religious guesthouses, and campgrounds.
  39. According to the VeneziaUnica online survey of visitors in 2017, overnight visitors’ spending was recorded, 2% of visitors spend less than € 25, 14% spend €25 – 50, 33% spend €51-100, 33% spend €101-200, and 17% spend more than € 200. 
  40. Day visitors are also known as daytrippers’ spending was comparatively and obviously was less. 
  41. In 2017, tourists’ satisfaction level was observed on a scale of 1 to 5 from “very bad” to “excellent”, and 65% of tourists were completely satisfied with their visit with a score of 5. 
  42. Visitors’ intention to return to Venice for a visit again was recorded, 94% said “yes”.
  43. In Venice, tourist accommodations are composed of one to six rooms, each one with a maximum of four beds. 

    44. Other Tourism Trends

  44. Fishing tourism, combined with tourist fishing- is the most authentic way to know, learn, and love the culture of Venice, the sea, and the fishing, and personally discover the fascination of an ancient profession.
  45. In fishing tourism, visitors go out with the fishermen, listen to their stories, watch them while they haul in their nets and collect the “catch” and enjoy this experience. 
  46. The Sustainable Tourism team has drawn up four cultural itineraries for 2022, perfect for getting off the beaten track when exploring the historic city. 
  47. These four itineraries are “Monumental churches, synagogues, and scuole grandi: a multicultural walk in Cannaregio”, “Dorsoduro, the art district: from Venetian origins to international contemporary art”, “Beauty mirrored in the water: discovering Giudecca and San Giorgio Maggiore”, and “Naval art, craftsmanship and popular traditions: Venice’s Castello district.”
  48. “Itineraries without barriers” are itineraries designed for wheelchair users visiting Venice. 
  49. Venice is a great place with many traditional flavours, visitors love to taste the flavours and recognize the aromas of its cooking and experience the typical traditional dishes of the lagoon.
  50. Visitors love to visit the Venice North Lagoon on Foot or by Boat around the North Lagoon territory, away from the usual tourist routes.
  51. Sant’Erasmoisland is the biggest island in the North lagoon, a vegetable garden since “Serenissima” times, to be seen on foot or by bike.
  52. Rolling Venice is a discount card for young people between 6 and 29 years of age who want to move freely to Venice. They can also get special benefits on public transport. 
  53. Venice offers Wheelchair rental service for tourists with physical disabilities who would like to visit Venice using a light wheelchair.

References

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/02/travel/venice-coronavirus-tourism.html

https://www.dw.com/en/venice-in-times-of-coronavirus-relaxed-and-unique/a-54772091

https://veneziaautentica.com/impact-tourism-venice/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/732572/international-tourist-arrivals-in-venice-italy/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1121100/revenue-per-available-room-revpar-of-hotels-in-venice/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1121069/average-daily-rate-adr-of-hotels-in-venice/

https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-tourism-statistics.htm

https://www.comune.venezia.it/sites/comune.venezia.it/files/immagini/Turismo/Adt19%20ing%20ver%204%201%202021%281%29.pdf

https://www.zainoo.com/en/italy/veneto/venice/economy-politics

https://www.veneziaunica.it/en/content/fishing-tourism-venetian-lagoon

https://www.veneziaunica.it/en/content/recommended-itineraries

https://www.veneziaunica.it/en/content/itineraries-without-barriers

https://www.veneziaunica.it/en/content/itineraries

https://www.veneziaunica.it/en/content/rolling-venice