Venice has brought back its entrance fee to limit day tourism on peak days, charging visitors five euros (or 10 euros for spontaneous travelers). The measure aims to dissuade tourists from visiting the city’s landmarks with packed lunches, leaving behind trash, and not spending much money.
The fee is enforced on up to 54 days this year, nearly doubling the number of peak days compared to last year. A new rule will punish unorganized visitors by charging them 10 euros instead of five for getting entry permits at the last minute.
Introduced last year, the fee was intended to reduce “mordi e fuggi” tourism, or “eat and flee,” which refers to brief visits that don’t benefit the local economy. The fee has been a good tool in raising awareness about Venice’s unique nature and fragility, according to Simone Venturini, the city’s municipal councilor.
Overtourism has threatened Venice’s ecosystem and historic architecture for years, prompting experts to warn that it’s a major threat to its future. UNESCO, the cultural agency, had listed mass tourism as a major concern in 2023 and urged the city to take action.
Despite the criticism, the city collected around $3.2 million from the fee last year, which will go towards implementing the system. Critics argue that the fee hasn’t stopped people from visiting but rather has created an uneven system where most tourists are still exempt from paying.
The city has established a website for visitors to register and obtain a QR code, but some critics have raised concerns about invasive mass surveillance. The entrance fee is part of a broader effort to monitor tourist activity and prepare city services accordingly.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/world/europe/venice-entrance-fee-tourists.html