Venice's mayor hailed Thursday the smooth launch of a trial of entry fees for day visitors despite protests by residents, saying tourism in the historic Italian city had to change.

For the first time, visitors exploring Venice for the day were required to buy a five-euro ($5.30) ticket, enforced by spot checks at key points of entry into the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said 15,700 people bought tickets on Thursday, the first of 29 days throughout 2024 when the entry fee will be charged as part of a trial — the first such scheme in the world.

He noted that for now, the test was costing more than the entry fees were bringing in, calling it a worthy investment. 

"This is not an expense — it is a way to make people understand that we need to change and therefore dilute visits to the city," he said in a statement.

Considered one of the most beautiful cities on the planet, Venice is a top tourist destination — but is drowning under the weight of the crowds.

There is no limit to the number of tickets available. Instead, the goal is to highlight the busiest days and try to persuade day-trippers to choose other times.

"I think it's good, because it will perhaps slow down the numbers of tourists in Venice," said Sylvain Pelerin, a French tourist who has been visiting for more than 50 years.

But some residents are strongly opposed, and around 300 people protested near the Santa Lucia train station on Thursday morning, holding up signs such as "Stick it to the ticket!" and "Venice is not for sale!"

"This is not a museum, it's not a protected ecological area, you shouldn't have to pay — it's a city," Marina Dodino, from the local residents' association ARCI, told AFP.

Fines

The "Venice Access Fee", for now required mostly on weekends from May to July, can either be purchased online or at the new ticket office at the train station.

It is required only between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm, with overnight visitors — who already pay a tourist tax — and minors under the age of 14 exempt, among others.

Around 113,000 people registered to enter Venice on Thursday, officials said, including 40,000 overnight visitors, 13,000 students, 20,000 workers and more than 4,000 friends or relatives of residents.

Residents just need to show their identity documents. Brugnaro's office said checks by around 75 inspectors at more than a dozen control points had identified no major issues.

Those without tickets face fines of 50 to 300 euros, though officials said they are seeking to persuade rather than punish.

UNESCO threat

The scheme is being closely watched by other destinations grappling with mass tourism, which boosts the local economy but risks overwhelming local communities and fragile sites.

Venice, spread over more than 100 small islands and islets in northeastern Italy, was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1987.

But at peak times, 100,000 visitors stay overnight in the historic center, double the resident population of just 50,000.

Tens of thousands more pour into the city's narrow streets for the day, often from cruise ships, to see sights including St Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge.

Authorities banned cruise ships in 2021, rerouting them to a more distant industrial port.

But UNESCO threatened last year to put Venice on its list of heritage in danger, citing mass tourism as well as rising water levels in its lagoon, which are attributed to climate change.

Venice escaped the ignominy only after local authorities agreed the new ticketing system.

'New balance'

The ticket idea had long been debated but repeatedly postponed over concerns it would dent tourist revenue and compromise freedom of movement.

"The aim is to find a new balance between tourism and the city of its residents," Simone Venturini, the local councillor responsible for tourism, told AFP.

Ashish Thakkar, an American tourist visiting Venice with his wife, questioned how much of an effect the day pass would have.

"If I'm coming all the way from out of the country, five euros just to get access to the city — I wouldn't mind paying it," he told AFP.

Some residents complain the measures fail to address another major issue -- the expansion of short-term apartment rentals through websites such as Airbnb, which are squeezing out long-term tenants.

"You have to start with the houses if you really want to solve the problem of tourism in Venice," said Federica Toninello, a local campaigner.