Venice's Overtourism Battle: €100 Day-Tripper Fee Proposed

A €100 entry fee for day-trippers is on the table. Critics argue it's too high, while locals say it's necessary to save Venice.

, and Administrator

2025 October 1 . 12:32 PM

2 min read

There is a bathtub. There are bottles, soap stand and a hand shower. There are white tiles.

Venice's Overtourism Battle: €100 Day-Tripper Fee Proposed

Venice, a city renowned for its beauty and charm, is grappling with overtourism. It's exploring strategies to manage the influx of visitors, with a controversial proposal to significantly increase the entry fee for day-trippers. Currently, Venice receives around 30 million visitors annually, with most being day-trippers who contribute little to the local economy. To tackle this, Venice has implemented a broader strategy including capping new hotels, relocating cruise ship terminals, limiting group tour sizes, and restricting short-term rentals. A 29-day trial scheme in 2024 charged day-trippers €5 to enter, resulting in over 3.6 million registrations and 485,000 day-trippers, with no daily visitor numbers exceeding 2023 levels. The city plans to expand this scheme in 2025, potentially increasing applicable days to 100 and adjusting the entry fee up to €10, depending on demand. Similar measures are being taken in other European cities like Amsterdam and Barcelona to manage mass tourism. However, Venice finds itself at the center of this debate with a proposal to increase the tourist entry fee from €5 to €100 for day-trippers. Setrak Tokatzian, president of the St Mark's Square residents' association, suggests this fee increase due to overwhelming visitor numbers causing a 'state of calamity'. Critics argue that even a €5 charge has failed to change tourist behavior, with many still bypassing local businesses and supporting illegal street vendors. Claudio Vernier opposes the €100 proposal, stating it creates unrealistic expectations and risks transforming Venice into a 'theme park'. The trial scheme raised €2.4 million but had higher operational costs than income in its first year. While the debate continues, Venice seeks a balance between preserving its heritage and accommodating visitors. Venice's struggle with overtourism has led to innovative strategies and controversial proposals. As the city explores ways to manage its visitor influx, the future of its iconic streets and squares hangs in the balance, with locals and tourists alike eagerly awaiting the outcome.