Venice officials are considering increasing and extending the city’s tourist entry fee in an effort to address persistent overcrowding. Currently set between €5 and €10, the charge applies exclusively to day-trippers and operates on select days during the spring and early summer. Michele Zuin, Venice’s budget and taxation councillor, said the existing fee has become too low to effectively discourage excessive visitor numbers and suggested raising it to as much as €30 daily. He also mentioned discussions around a possible increase to €50 but indicated €30 is likely to be the upper limit.

The tourist levy was first introduced in 2024, marking a global precedent for major tourism hubs implementing entry charges specifically targeting day visitors. The scheme aims to manage the high volume of tourists that have long strained the city’s infrastructure and contributed to a notable decline in resident population. The fee helps regulate peak periods by encouraging visitors to shift trips away from the busiest times, such as the May Day public holiday.

This year, the entry fee was in effect from April 3 to July 26, operating daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Early arrivals benefited from reduced rates, and certain groups—such as children under 14—were exempt from the charge. Over this period, nearly 680,000 passes were sold, generating more than €5.2 million for city coffers.

Any adjustment to the fee would require coordination and approval from the national government. Officials have indicated that expanding the fee to cover a longer portion of the year and implementing a higher rate could provide a stronger deterrent against overtourism while generating additional revenue to maintain Venice’s cultural heritage and urban environment.