Florence is experiencing a document variety of guests this season, however the rising development of brief stays seems to be affecting the recognition of the FirenzeCard, town’s official museum go. The difficulty was raised throughout a current session of the Florence Metropolis Council, the place it was famous that gross sales of the cardboard have dropped by round 60% in comparison with 2019.
The FirenzeCard, launched in 2010, grants admission to round 70 museums and cultural websites throughout town. Legitimate for 72 hours from its first use, the cardboard prices €85 and contains entry to momentary exhibitions, free admission for guests below 18, and a free 48-hour extension. It may be bought on-line or at native customer facilities.
The cardboard noticed its highest reputation in 2018, with 127,000 items bought. Nevertheless, gross sales declined sharply the next yr, when the value elevated from €72 to €85 and key sights just like the Duomo complicated left this system. In 2019, solely 76,856 playing cards had been bought. The COVID-19 pandemic additional impacted this system, resulting in its suspension from March 2020 to October 2022.
Since its relaunch, gross sales have been recovering slowly. In 2024, 51,064 FirenzeCards had been bought, with roughly 9,000 customers making the most of the 48-hour extension possibility often called “Restart.” Preliminary figures for 2025 recommend a continued constructive development.
One main issue cited within the decline is the decreased common size of keep for vacationers in Florence — a broader development noticed throughout Italy post-pandemic. Earlier than COVID-19, guests sometimes stayed round three nights, aligning properly with the cardboard’s 72-hour validity. Now, shorter visits might make the go much less interesting to vacationers.
Throughout a council session, solutions had been made to revitalize the FirenzeCard, corresponding to reintroducing public transport entry, which was included prior to now by a partnership with Ataf, Florence’s former transit supplier. That settlement expired, however the metropolis is presently in talks with the brand new supplier, Autolinee Toscane, to discover renewed collaboration.
Council members additionally raised the potential for creating worth tiers based mostly on age or size of keep and lengthening the cardboard to incorporate sights in neighboring municipalities. This might assist relieve strain on Florence’s historic heart and encourage exploration of the broader space.
Florence’s cultural division has acknowledged the challenges and is open to changes. Whereas no rapid modifications have been introduced, metropolis officers confirmed they’re evaluating the efficiency of the cardboard throughout the first half of 2025. They’re additionally finding out how related vacationer passes are structured in different cities, together with choices for variable durations and built-in transport entry.
The FirenzeCard continues to be promoted by a number of channels, together with town’s personal tourism places of work, internet advertising, newsletters, and the Vacation spot Florence platform.
Metropolis officers say they are going to assess upcoming knowledge to resolve whether or not and find out how to replace the FirenzeCard providing — with the purpose of higher adapting it to new customer habits and guaranteeing it stays a useful software for exploring Florence’s cultural heritage.
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