by InTrieste
The picturesque canal city of Venice, renowned for its intricate waterways and historic charm, is set to raise its day-tripper entry fee in 2025. This decision follows a trial scheme initiated earlier this year, aimed at mitigating the overwhelming influx of tourists.
The current entry ticket, priced at €5, has been in effect for 29 selected days, including public holidays and weekends, from April 25 to July 14. This measure was implemented to alleviate the burden of mass tourism on the city’s delicate infrastructure.
Looking ahead, the Venice City Council plans to revise this controversial entry fee. Starting next year, a lower base rate of €3 will be available for those who book in advance, while the fee will surge to €10 on the busiest days.
Simone Venturini, the city’s tourism councillor, spoke at a Jubilee Year 2025 conference in Rome, highlighting the need for this adjustment. “Venice is still too cheap,” Venturini asserted, emphasizing that it is time “to think about an increased access contribution to put a stop to excess tourism.”
“Venice cannot contain all the people in the world,” Venturini stated. “We have to choose what kind of people we want to bring to a city that offers a unique experience in the world, but within a finite space.”
Michele Zuin, the city’s budget councilor, echoed this sentiment. Speaking to Il Fatto Quotidiano, Zuin explained the rationale behind the fee hike: “We hope to discourage arrivals. The first experimental phase did not show major disincentive effects, but we did not expect them. The situation will change when the maximum ticket is increased to €10.”
Describing the fee increase as “an attempt to reverse the trend,” Zuin expressed hope that tourists would shift their travel patterns. “We hope people will not come to Venice when they have holidays, but rather take holidays to go to Venice when it is possible to do so,” he said.
The current 29-day entry fee system concluded on Sunday, July 14. In the initial 27 days of the pilot scheme, approximately 425,270 paying visitors generated over €2 million in revenue for the city, significantly exceeding the forecasted amount for the entire 29-day period.
The €5 entry fee has faced criticism from opponents who argue it is ineffective in curbing crowd numbers. It is important to note that this fee applies exclusively to day-trippers, exempting overnight visitors and city residents.
