Venice is planning to double the number of days it charges an entrance fee from tourists to manage over-tourism. The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, shared that the plan will be implemented in 2025, and the objective is to discourage tourists from visiting the city on the same days.
Day tourists booking ahead to access Venice on certain days between April and July will need to pay €5 (£4.17 or $5.41). If someone makes a booking less than 4 days in advance, it would cost them €10.
They are piloting the scheme, and the system will be applied every Friday through Sunday and on holidays from April 18 to July 27, 2025, starting from the peak hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Venice residents, Venetian-born visitors, students, workers, and tourists with lodging reservations won’t have to pay the tripper tax. Visitors over 14 must pay the tax with their phones and download a QR code to show inspectors.
Councillor of Venice Simone Venturini shared, “Venice has gone from being the city most exposed to and criticised for the phenomenon of over-tourism to being the city that is reacting to this phenomenon the earliest and most productively on the global stage.”
Last year, the UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation) said that Venice should be added to a list of world heritage sites in danger. This is because the impact of climate change and mass tourism might result in irreversible changes in the city.