Venice to double tourist entry fee days in 2025

Venice is set to expand its tourist entrance fee policy in 2025, doubling the number of days visitors will be charged to enter the historic city. This decision follows what city officials described as a “successful” trial last year. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro stated that the goal of the fee remains to manage the influx of tourists and encourage a more respectful approach to visiting Venice.

In 2025, tourists who book in advance will be required to pay €5 (£4.17; $5.41) to enter the city on specific days between April and July. If the booking is made less than four days in advance, the charge will increase to €10. The fee will apply every Friday through Sunday, as well as on public holidays, spanning from April 18 to July 27, totaling 54 days. This is a notable increase from last year’s trial period, which covered 29 days.

Visitors aged 14 and over will be subject to the entrance fee. To comply, they will need to purchase their tickets online and download a QR code to be presented to inspectors, who will conduct random checks at common entry points like train stations. Those who fail to present a ticket risk facing a fine. However, exemptions will be made for those with hotel or guest house reservations, residents of the Veneto region, students attending Venice’s university, and individuals visiting relatives in the city.

Simone Venturini, a city councillor, emphasized that Venice has shifted from being heavily criticized for overtourism to taking proactive measures to manage the issue. According to Venturini, Venice is leading the global effort in addressing overtourism through targeted interventions like the entrance fee.

The trial phase, which began in April last year, was financially promising for Venice authorities. Italian media reported that in the first eight days alone, the city collected the amount they had projected to make over a three-month period. By the end of the trial in mid-July, the entrance fees had generated approximately €2.4 million (£2 million; $2.5 million).

Despite the promising revenue, Mayor Brugnaro indicated that more analysis is needed to determine whether the scheme fully covered its expenses. Reports suggest that the ticket booking platform and a communication campaign associated with the initiative cost around €3 million.

Not everyone is convinced of the initiative’s success. Opposition councillor Giovanni Andrea Martini criticized the entrance fee in July, calling it a “failure.” Martini argued that it did not effectively disperse the tourist flow, which remains concentrated in peak periods. He also expressed concerns that increasing the fee from €5 to €10 could be counterproductive, potentially turning Venice into “a museum” rather than a living city.

Venice’s measures to control tourism come amid warnings from international bodies. In 2021, large cruise ships were banned from entering the city’s historic center via the Giudecca Canal following a ship collision at a harbor. The move aimed to reduce pollution and prevent further erosion of the city’s foundations, which are threatened by regular flooding. 

With this new phase of the entrance fee policy, Venice aims to balance the preservation of its cultural heritage while managing the millions of tourists who visit each year. Whether the expanded fee will achieve its intended goals remains to be seen as the city seeks sustainable solutions to protect its future.