Venice mayor proposes 900% tourist fee hike to tackle overtourism: 'BETTER FOR US'
· Toronto Sun
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It’s no secret that the Italian city of Venice is being overwhelmed by overtourism.
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But its new mayor has a proposal: Hike the tourist fee for day-trippers by a whopping 900% — raising the cost of visiting the floating city during high season to €50 ($80) from the current €5 ($8).
Simone Venturini, the former city councillor for tourism who was elected mayor in May, says the proposed hike is intended to be a “stronger deterrent” for travellers “during periods of peak tourist pressure,” according to the U.K. Times .
He said boosting the charge is vital for managing the growing strain caused by the vast number of visitors.
In 2024, Venice became the first European destination to introduce a pay-to-enter system for day-trippers during peak travel season (between April and July).
Last year, the fee was doubled for last-minute travellers who booked within three days of their visit.
The city is also expanding the program, increasing the number of chargeable days from 54 to 60 this year.
Who doesn’t have to pay the fee?
That said, many visitors are exempt from the fee, including local residents, Venice-born individuals, students, workers, and anyone arriving before 8:30 a.m. or departing after 4 p.m.
Overnight guests staying in hotels or rental properties are also not required to pay.
The system operates through online ticket purchases, with verification taking place at major access points around the city.
Visitors found without valid tickets risk fines of up to €300 ($485).
Venturini said “the admission fee is currently the only effective tool to control daily visitor numbers,” and it helps “finance city services and support the maintenance and protection of a unique city, built on water, whose costs exceed €100m each year.”
More specifically, the increased fee would help address daily congestion around railway and cruise entry corridors, overloaded pedestrian networks during peak months, rising maintenance costs for heritage infrastructure, and resident displacement linked to short-term tourism demand.
Plan isn’t loved by all
The proposal, which will be sent to the Italian government and parliament, has already sparked criticism from opponents who call the plan “barbarous” and potentially in breach of constitutional principles.
Critics argue that if Venice wants to reduce overcrowding, it should instead focus on limiting the number of properties being rented out through Airbnb.
“There is no other Italian or European city that you have to buy a ticket to enter, as if it were a museum,” former mayor Massimo Cacciari said, per the Times .
“This is barbarous, uncivil and in my opinion anti-constitutional.”
Constitutional expert Ludovico Mazzarolli agreed, telling Corriere della Sera that a €50 entry fee could conflict with the Italian Constitution’s principle of free movement within the country.
Venturini, however, insisted the objective is not to deter tourists but rather encourage them to visit at less busy times.
“We need to keep an eye on the total number of visitors to Venice, but we do not want to put a maximum limit on tourists, so instead we can aim to get them to spread out and avoid coming on those days when we face the prospect of 80,000 visitors,” he told the Times .
“The higher the ticket price, the better for us.”