Venice, the City of Water, is bracing itself for yet another wave of tourist pressure. The city's newly elected mayor, Simone Venturini, has made good on his election promise to hike the entrance fee for day-trippers, potentially soaring it to as much as €50 (around £43), a steep rise from the current €5 charge introduced earlier this year.
The initiative, which saw 60 dates added to the original 54 in 2025, has so far shown limited success in reducing visitor numbers but has generated €2.4 million for the city in its inaugural year – exceeding initial expectations. Venetian authorities remain hopeful that the fee will help alleviate the strain of overtourism on this UNESCO World Heritage site.
Mayor Venturini's proposal, aimed at discouraging visitors during peak periods, is set to be presented to the national government as a formal proposal, seeking permission to implement higher charges on specific days or when booking thresholds are exceeded. The current system requires day-trippers to pay online and display their QR code upon entry.
Those exempt from the fee include overnight stay bookers, tourists from the Veneto region (the majority of day-trippers), and children under 14 – but even hotel bookers must still register on the designated website. The mayor stresses that the admission fee is currently the only effective tool for managing daily visitor numbers, with the council working to refine its impact.
The funds generated will be funnelled into essential city services and supporting maintenance of Venice's fragile infrastructure, which incurs annual costs of over €100 million. This dual purpose of the fee – both to manage tourism flow and provide a crucial revenue stream for preservation efforts – highlights the delicate balance between preserving this global heritage site and catering to its tourists.