UMVA has learned that the Italian city of Venice, long plagued by overtourism, is poised to take a drastic measure to manage its visitor numbers: hiking the tourist fee for day-trippers by a staggering 900%.
The proposed increase, which would raise the cost of visiting the floating city during high season to €50 ($80) from the current €5 ($8), is being championed by Mayor Simone Venturini, a former city councillor for tourism. He says the hike is necessary to act as a "stronger deterrent" for travellers during periods of peak tourist pressure.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Venturini believes that boosting the charge is vital for managing the growing strain caused by the vast number of visitors. This move comes as Venice continues to grapple with the consequences of its popularity, with 2024 marking the first year the city introduced a pay-to-enter system for day-trippers during peak travel season.
The city is also expanding this program, increasing the number of chargeable days from 54 to 60 this year. However, many visitors are exempt from the fee, including local residents, Venice-born individuals, students, workers, and anyone arriving before 8:30 a.m. or departing after 4 p.m.
Overnight guests staying in hotels or rental properties are also not required to pay. The system operates through online ticket purchases, with verification taking place at major access points around the city. Visitors found without valid tickets risk fines of up to €300 ($485).
Venturini maintains that the admission fee is currently the only effective tool to control daily visitor numbers, and it helps "finance city services and support the maintenance and protection of a unique city, built on water, whose costs exceed €100m each year."
The increased fee would specifically help address daily congestion around railway and cruise entry corridors, overloaded pedestrian networks during peak months, rising maintenance costs for heritage infrastructure, and resident displacement linked to short-term tourism demand.
However, the proposal has already sparked criticism from opponents who call the plan "barbarous" and potentially in breach of constitutional principles. Critics argue that if Venice wants to reduce overcrowding, it should instead focus on limiting the number of properties being rented out through short-term rentals.
"There is no other Italian or European city that you have to buy a ticket to enter, as if it were a museum," former mayor Massimo Cacciari said. "This is barbarous, uncivil and in my opinion anti-constitutional."
Despite the backlash, Venturini insisted the objective is not to deter tourists but rather encourage them to visit at less busy times. "We need to keep an eye on the total number of visitors to Venice, but we do not want to put a maximum limit on tourists, so instead we can aim to get them to spread out and avoid coming on those days when we face the prospect of 80,000 visitors."
Venturini remains adamant that the higher ticket price will help achieve this goal, saying "the higher the ticket price, the better for us."
