Venice launches $5 entry fee for day-trippers

April 25 (UPI) -- Visitors looking to make a day trip to Venice will be charged a fee to enter the iconic city starting Thursday as part of a plan to address over-tourism.

The historic Italian UNESCO World Heritage site known for its canal throughout the city, will charge day-trippers $5.35 to enter during a 29-peak-day trial period through July 14.

Those booking a one-night stay or more will be exempt, along with residents, workers and people studying in the city.

Visitors can register for a pass online to receive a QR code that can be displayed on their smartphone, while visitors younger than 14 will not have to pay but will also receive a code.

Physical tickets can also be purchased at the Santa Lucia train station.

There are no limits on how many people can register in a day. The Venice council said 5,500 people had purchased passes for the first day on Thursday, which is an Italian national holiday, for a total of more than $29,000.

No established stations have been put in place at entrances to the city to check for passes but random checks will be conducted and visitors without a pass can be fined up to $320.

"We are not looking to collect money, tax people, or introduce a police state," Venice's tourism head Simone Venturini, told NBC News. "We are being democratic about it, but the important message is: 'Please if you are a day-tripper, choose another day.'"

Venice's Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said the measure is a small step to help save the city, where its fragile lagoon infrastructure is showing the strain of more than 40,000 tourists daily. That pressure now has started to drive out needed residents.

Some, however, have argued that the fee is ineffective at best and at worst unconstitutional.

"I can tell you that almost the entire city is against it "Matteo Secchi, head of residents' activist group Venessia.com, told The Guardian. "You can't impose an entrance fee to a city, all they're doing is transforming it into a theme park. This is a bad image for Venice ... I mean, are we joking?"

Protesters held signs opposing the move, with some reading "No to ticket, Yes to houses and services for all" as some tried to break through a police blockade and enter the city.