Venice's entry fee for day-trippers is being reintroduced from Friday, with visitors who leave booking to the last minute having to pay double. The standard €5 charge will rise to €10 for those who book within three days of arrival.
The fee applies on 54 dates, mostly weekends, between 18 April and 27 July, between 8.30am and 4pm. Visitors must present a QR code to stewards at main entry points such as Venezia Santa Lucia station. Those staying overnight in Venice are exempt, as are tourists from the wider Veneto region and children under 14, though overnight guests must still register online.
Last year's trial made little impact on visitor numbers, but generated €2.4m, far more than expected. Venice authorities insist the scheme will help manage overtourism. The city is facing record visitor numbers, with more than 3.9 million overnight visitors last year and around 30 million day-trippers annually. More than 35,000 day-trippers have already booked a ticket, according to the local news website Venezia Today.
Simone Venturini, Venice's tourism councillor, said there was 'no magic wand' but described the fee as a 'tangible and innovative tool' for managing visitor flows. 'It will be a long journey,' he said, 'but from now on the city will be able to rely on objective data.' The goal, he added, was to encourage quality tourism and strike a balance between residents and visitors.
However, the fee has been fiercely criticised by residents and opposition councillors. Giovanni Andrea Martini said it had made 'absolutely no difference,' adding that visitor numbers were still increasing. He said residents were angered by the encouragement of tourists to visit lesser-known areas, which would disrupt their peace. Many locals believe the real solution lies in clamping down on short-term holiday lets and improving services for the permanent population, which fell below 50,000 for the first time in 2022.
