The city’s initiative follows a successful trial, yet debates arise over its efficacy and impact on tourism.
**Venice's Tourist Entry Fee to Expand by 2025: A Response to Overtourism**
**Venice's Tourist Entry Fee to Expand by 2025: A Response to Overtourism**
Venice will increase tourist entrance fee days to 54, targeting visitor distribution to preserve the city.
Venetian Mayor Luigi Brugnaro announced that the city will extend its tourist entry fee, successfully trialed last year, to cover a total of 54 days across the weekends and public holidays from April through July in 2025. The goal remains to discourage massive day-tripper influxes and preserve Venice's heritage and environment.
Beginning April 18, 2025, day visitors who secure tickets in advance will incur a charge of €5 (approximately $5.41), while those booking with less than four days’ notice will pay €10. The initial phase of this fee was launched in 2022, applying to 29 specific days mainly encompassing weekends and public holidays. The initiative attracted considerable financial support, collecting around €2.4 million by mid-July, exceeding projected revenue numbers based on earlier estimations.
To enforce this new measure, visitors 14 and older will need to pay the fee through a mobile ticketing system and display a QR code upon inspector checks in key arrival areas like the train station. Those who fail to comply will be subjected to fines. Exemptions remain for hotel guests, residents of the Veneto region, students attending local universities, and individuals visiting family in Venice.
City councillor Simone Venturini heralded the city's proactive approach in combatting the overtourism plaguing Venice, a sentiment echoed by several local authorities. However, criticism surrounds the initiative. Opposition councillor Giovanni Andrea Martini declared the fee's impact negligible in distributing tourist flow, suggesting it could potentially transform Venice into a mere historical display devoid of local life.
Tourism continues to ignite debates regarding its consequences on Venice's infrastructure and environment. UNESCO has cautioned the city’s inclusion on a list of world heritage sites in danger due to the combined threats posed by climate change and mass tourism. Furthermore, the ban on large cruise ships in 2021 aimed to mitigate pollution and damage inflicted on Venice's foundation, which is already prone to flooding.
As Venice grapples with redefining its tourism strategy, the efficacy and future direction of these fee measures remain under scrutiny from multiple perspectives, revealing a complex playing field between preserving cultural integrity and maintaining economic vitality.
