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Venice, Italy Introduces €100 Tourist Fee to Protect Historic Urban Core

Venice, Italy, faces immense challenges from overtourism, which threatens its unique heritage, infrastructure, and residents’ quality of life. With approximately 30 million visitors annually, two-thirds of whom are day-trippers, the city’s fragile environment and historical landmarks are under significant pressure. In response, Venice introduced an Access Fee for day-trippers starting in 2024, which expanded in 2025. The fee, applied during peak hours and specific dates, is aimed at managing visitor flow and alleviating overcrowding. Early bookings are incentivized with a reduced fee, while last-minute entries incur higher costs.

The Access Fee is part of a broader strategy that includes limiting tour group sizes, banning loudspeakers, and restricting large cruise ships. The city hopes these measures will preserve its cultural and environmental integrity while ensuring economic sustainability. However, the effectiveness of the Access Fee is debated, with some critics viewing it as a revenue generator rather than a true solution to overtourism. Global examples, such as tourist taxes in cities like Edinburgh and Seville, provide insights into alternative strategies. Venice’s long-term vision emphasizes quality tourism over sheer quantity, aiming to create a more sustainable and authentic experience while safeguarding the city’s identity and the well-being of its residents.

Venice's Enduring Appeal and Overtourism Challenges

Venice, often referred to as “La Serenissima,” is a masterpiece of human ingenuity and architectural brilliance. Built on 118 small islands within the Venetian Lagoon, its intricate canals and bridges have long captivated travelers and artists alike. As a global icon, Venice draws millions of visitors annually, with tourism driving the city’s economy. However, this allure has transformed into a “double-edged sword,” leading to overtourism challenges. With approximately 30 million visitors annually, two-thirds of whom are day-trippers, the city faces immense pressure on its fragile infrastructure and historic buildings (VeniceVisitPass, 2024; ETIAS, 2024). This overcrowding negatively impacts both residents and tourists, with narrow streets and public transport systems often clogged with crowds, diminishing the visitor experience (Aljazeera, 2024; TravelandTourWorld, 2024).

Venice’s tourism-driven model risks undermining its unique cultural and architectural heritage, creating a vicious cycle where tourism accelerates the degradation of its most valuable assets. As a result, policies are needed to shift from a quantity-driven to a quality-driven approach, prioritizing responsible visitation. This transformation threatens Venice’s identity, turning it into a “theme park” rather than a vibrant city, with the local community and authentic Venetian life being displaced (VeniceVisitPass, 2024; Aljazeera, 2024).

Venice’s historic beauty overshadowed by overtourism; crowded streets vs. peaceful canals.

Source: author

The Access Fee: Implementation and Mechanics

In response to overtourism challenges, Venice introduced an Access Fee for day-trippers, initially trialed in 2024 and expanded in 2025. This fee targets occasional visitors entering the historic city center during peak periods to manage tourist flows (VeniceVisitPass, 2024; TravelandTourWorld, 2024).

For 2025, the Access Fee is €10 per person per day, with a reduced fee of €5 for bookings made four days in advance. The fee applies from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, primarily on weekends and holidays from April 18 to July 27. Visitors outside these times are exempt (ETIAS, 2024). This fee excludes overnight guests who pay a separate tourist tax, and it is applicable only in the historic center, leaving smaller islands exempt (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

Payment is made online, with a QR code provided for entry. Exemptions include residents, minors, people with disabilities, and certain workers or visitors, such as those attending medical appointments (VeniceVisitPass, 2024). Non-compliance results in penalties from €50 to €300 (ETIAS, 2024), ensuring strict adherence to the fee. This strategy is aimed at controlling overcrowding while funding city maintenance and preservation.

Visual representation of Venice’s Access Fee structure: QR code entry, payment details, and exemptions.

Source: author

Objectives and Rationale Behind the Fee

Venice’s Access Fee initiative is a key component of the city’s broader strategy to manage tourism sustainably and preserve its cultural heritage. The main objectives of the fee are to:

  • Promote sustainable tourism while safeguarding Venice’s historic charm for future generations.

  • Better manage the overwhelming influx of visitors, particularly day-trippers, who contribute to congestion and overcrowding (VeniceVisitPass, 2024; Aljazeera, 2024).

The Access Fee targets reducing short visits, encouraging longer stays that benefit the local economy and reduce environmental strain. The fee also helps alleviate pressure on Venice’s fragile infrastructure, which struggles to support millions of tourists annually. Funds generated from the fee will be reinvested into maintaining city services and restoring historical landmarks, ensuring long-term preservation. For example, the 2024 pilot phase generated €2.4 million from 485,000 visitors (VeniceVisitPass, 2024; ETIAS, 2024).

The revenue aims to fund maintenance, public service improvements, and the preservation of Venice’s cultural treasures. The Access Fee is seen as part of Venice’s ongoing efforts to prevent overtourism from destroying its unique identity, making it a pioneering model for responsible tourism management (VeniceVisitPass, 2024; ETIAS, 2024).

Explaining Venice’s goal to balance tourism and preservation; managing crowds, funding infrastructure.

Source: author

Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts

The pervasive nature of overtourism in Venice has triggered a range of economic, social, and environmental issues, which the Access Fee aims to mitigate:

  • Economic Impacts: Tourism, while vital to Venice’s economy, has led to an “economic monoculture” where local businesses, like bakeries and butcher shops, are replaced by tourist-focused establishments. This shift, combined with rising rents, increases the cost of living for locals and reduces the economic benefits for the community (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Social Impacts: Venice’s population has dramatically decreased from over 175,000 in the 1950s to fewer than 50,000 today, driven by rising rental prices and the conversion of homes to short-term rentals. This depopulation leads to the closure of essential services and increases the tension between locals and tourists, as overcrowded public transport and loss of cultural authenticity contribute to a declining quality of life for residents (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Environmental Impacts: Overtourism places immense pressure on Venice’s fragile ecosystem, contributing to resource depletion, waste management challenges, and pollution. The city’s canals are affected by increased waste, light and sound pollution, and environmental degradation. UNESCO has raised concerns about Venice’s potential designation as an endangered World Heritage site (ETIAS, 2024).

Impact of overtourism in Venice: overcrowded streets, declining local businesses, environmental strain.

Source: author

Public and Stakeholder Reactions

The introduction of Venice’s Access Fee has sparked varied reactions from officials, residents, critics, and tourism operators, revealing the complexity of managing overtourism:

  • City Officials’ Reactions: Officials generally support the Access Fee as a step toward sustainable tourism. Mayor Brugnaro and tourism councillor Simone Venturini emphasize its potential to make Venice more livable and use revenue for essential services like waste management (Aljazeera, 2024; Artviva, 2024).

  • Residents’ and Critics’ Reactions: Many residents and critics remain skeptical, arguing the fee has not effectively reduced visitor numbers. Activists view it as a “grand bluff” rather than a genuine solution, with some residents concerned about data privacy and the city’s cultural transformation into a “museum” (Aljazeera, 2024; VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Tourism Operators’ and Businesses’ Reactions: Views among tourism operators are mixed. Some support the fee, advocating for higher rates, while others believe it fails to address overcrowding. Local businesses express concerns about limited economic benefits, particularly from day-trippers who don’t engage with the local economy (Artviva, 2024).

  • Tourists’ Reactions: Tourist feedback indicates a general acceptance of the fee, though its impact on crowd levels remains debated (Artviva, 2024; TravelandTourWorld, 2024).

Venetian residents and officials’ reactions to Access Fee; balancing preservation and tourism demands.

Source: author

Alternative and Complementary Solutions

Venice is adopting a multi-faceted approach to combat overtourism while preserving its cultural and environmental integrity. Key strategies include:

  • Regulating Short-Term Rentals: Limiting properties on platforms like Airbnb to free up housing for residents, helping mitigate depopulation and rising costs (TravelandTourWorld, 2024).

  • Boosting Resident Population and Services: Encouraging residents to stay by promoting affordable housing and supporting local businesses (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Limits on Tour Group Sizes and Loudspeaker Bans: Introducing limits on tour group sizes and bans on loudspeakers to reduce overcrowding in narrow streets and improve the tourist experience (Artviva, 2024).

  • Banning Large Cruise Ships: Banning large cruise ships from Venice’s historic center to reduce congestion and environmental damage (VeniceVisitPass, 2024; TravelandTourWorld, 2024).

  • Promoting “Slow Travel” and Longer Stays: Encouraging longer stays to foster a deeper connection with Venice’s culture and reduce environmental impact (Artviva, 2024).

  • Supporting Sustainable Businesses: Encouraging travelers to support local businesses that prioritize sustainability and cultural authenticity (VeniceVisitPass, 2024; Artviva, 2024).

  • Decentralization and Dispersed Tourism: Promoting alternative destinations like Mestre to disperse tourism and alleviate pressure on Venice itself (TravelandTourWorld, 2024).

Proposed measures for Venice: regulating short-term rentals, encouraging longer stays, and decentralizing tourism.

Source: author

Global Precedents and Lessons Learned

Global cities are implementing strategies like tourism taxes and regulations to combat overtourism and protect local resources. These efforts serve as valuable lessons for Venice, which is adopting similar measures:

  • Edinburgh, Scotland: Introduced a 5% tourist tax on overnight stays, with revenue directed to local infrastructure and public services (VeniceVisitPass, 2024; Artviva, 2024).

  • New York City, USA: Implemented congestion pricing to reduce traffic and fund public transit, with exemptions for low-income residents (TravelandTourWorld, 2024; Artviva, 2024).

  • Seville, Spain: Regulated short-term rentals and imposed a tourist tax to preserve housing affordability and quality of life (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Greece: Introduced a per-passenger tourist tax for cruise ships to fund infrastructure improvements and protect the environment (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Bhutan: Maintains a Sustainable Development Fee, a high-cost tourist tax that limits visitors while supporting cultural and environmental development (VeniceVisitPass, 2024; TravelandTourWorld, 2024).

Other cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Kyoto are also taking steps to manage overtourism with innovative policies. These global approaches highlight the growing trend of implementing taxes and regulations to ensure sustainable tourism, protect cultural heritage, and enhance resident quality of life (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

Edinburgh, NYC, Seville, and their approaches to overtourism management.

Source: author

The Future of Tourism in Venice

Venice’s introduction and expansion of the Access Fee, alongside other initiatives, signal a commitment to sustainable tourism while preserving its unique cultural and environmental heritage. The city is working to balance tourism’s economic benefits with the need to protect local life and infrastructure from the impacts of overtourism (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Ongoing Adjustments and Implementation: The Access Fee is still in its trial phase and will likely see further revisions to improve its effectiveness. The goal is to better manage visitor flows and ensure Venice remains sustainable for both locals and tourists (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Shifting Toward Quality Tourism: Venice aims to prioritize quality tourism, encouraging longer stays that foster deeper connections with the city’s culture and support local businesses (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Regulating Short-Term Rentals and Housing Issues: Addressing housing shortages by limiting short-term rentals is crucial for reversing depopulation and reviving the local community (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Collaboration with UNESCO: Venice continues to collaborate with UNESCO to ensure its heritage preservation amidst evolving tourism challenges (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

  • Sustainable Infrastructure Development: Revenue from the Access Fee will support the maintenance of Venice’s infrastructure and cultural landmarks (VeniceVisitPass, 2024).

Future strategies aim to ensure long-term viability through sustainable tourism management.

Envisioning sustainable tourism in Venice; balancing cultural preservation with responsible travel practices.

Source: author

Conclusion

Venice’s introduction of the Access Fee marks a pivotal move toward managing overtourism and protecting the city’s delicate infrastructure, cultural heritage, and environment. With millions of tourists, especially day-trippers, overwhelming Venice, the fee targets peak periods and incentivizes early bookings, reflecting a strategic approach to regulating visitor flows. The fee aims to alleviate overcrowding, environmental degradation, and the displacement of local businesses.

In addition to the Access Fee, Venice is implementing complementary measures such as limiting short-term rentals and encouraging longer stays. These initiatives focus on restoring the local character and improving livability for residents, whose daily lives have been compromised by the influx of tourists. Venice’s strategy mirrors the efforts of other cities like Edinburgh and New York, which are adopting sustainable tourism practices to balance economic growth with preservation.

While reactions to the Access Fee have been mixed, Venice’s approach highlights the importance of adapting tourism management strategies to address long-term sustainability challenges. By prioritizing cultural preservation and sustainable practices, Venice aims to ensure its unique identity and heritage endure for future generations, offering valuable lessons for other global destinations grappling with similar issues.

References

  1. Al Jazeera. (2024, July 14). Venice entry tax failed to deter tourists, critics say. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/14/venice-entry-tax-failed-to-deter-tourists-critics-say
  2. Artviva. (2024). Navigating Venice’s new rules: What travelers need to know in 2024. Retrieved from https://www.artviva.com/navigating-venices-new-rules-what-travelers-need-to-know-in-2024/
  3. ETIAS. (2024). Venice tourism regulations 2024. Retrieved from https://etias.com/articles/venice-tourism-regulations-2024
  4. ETIAS. (2024). Venice introduces higher tourist fees to combat crowds. Retrieved from https://etias.com/articles/venice-introduces-higher-tourist-fees-to-combat-crowds
  5. Fodors. (2024). Should we stop visiting Venice for environmental reasons? Retrieved from https://www.fodors.com/world/europe/italy/venice/experiences/news/should-we-stop-visiting-venice-for-environmental-reasons
  6. UNESCO. (n.d.). Venice and its Lagoon – World Heritage. Retrieved from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/394/
  7. Travel and Tour World. (2024, March 15). Venice’s new tourist tax raises over five million euros. Retrieved from https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/venices-new-tourist-tax-raises-over-five-million-euros-signifying-success-in-managing-visitor-flow-and-funding-city-improvements/
  8. Venice Visit Pass. (2025). Venice city tourist tax: Everything you need to know. Retrieved from https://www.venicevisitpass.com/en/magazine-en/venice-city-tourist-tax/
  9. The Guardian. (2019, November 15). Venice council flooded moments after rejecting climate crisis plan. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/15/venice-council-flooded-moments-after-rejecting-climate-crisis-plan
  10. Travel Tomorrow. (2024, March 25). Venice tourist tax: Useless at solving overtourism, critics say. Retrieved from https://traveltomorrow.com/venice-tourist-tax-useless-at-solving-overtourism-critics-say/

Jisan Kumar Roy

About the Author

Jisan Kumar Roy is a passionate graduate in Urban and Rural Planning from Khulna University with expertise in GIS, remote sensing, and spatial analysis. His academic and volunteer experiences focus on transportation planning, climate resilience, and humanitarian mapping. He has contributed to national and global projects through roles at CEGIS, GroupMappers, and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. Jisan holds certifications in spatial data science, cartography, and data analytics and is proficient in Python, R, and various geospatial tools. He is committed to leveraging geographic intelligence for inclusive, sustainable development and actively promotes GIS education as an Esri Young Professional Network Ambassador.

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