In a continued effort to combat overtourism in the beautiful, canal city of Venice in Italy, officials have implemented a new scheme for 2025 after a successful test trial this past summer: charging tourists and “daytrippers” fees to enter the city on water.
The original entrance fee implemented in late April this year charged tourists who made advance reservations to travel throughout Venice, and also “daytrippers” who arrived at the last minute, a total of €5 for entry. In 2025, that amount will double for tourists who don’t make reservations in advance (four days before arriving) and will be charged €10 euros for entry into the city with arrival three days or less.
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For 54 Days in 2025, Tourists Arriving in Venice Last Minute to Pay €10 to Enter the City
Shutterstock The visible effects of overtourism as cruise ship passengers crowd the walkway at the Doge’s Palace in Piazza San Marco on a busy day in Venice, Italy
While the initial tourist entry scheme was met with opposition and complaints, local officials are proud of where they stand in their effort to combat overtourism, indicating that the fee is not being imposed to “make money” for the city but to take control over the mass amount of tourists that arrive in Venice each year, particularly in the late spring and summer months.
“Venice is at the forefront in tackling overtourism,” said Mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, as he announced the plans for 2025, adding that the system this year allowed them to collect data to inform them about the future. The objective is still the same: To define a new system for managing tourist flows and to discourage daytripper tourism in Venice during certain periods, in line with the delicacy and uniqueness of the city, to give it the full respect it deserves,” he added.
In 2025, the new price of the last-minute tourist “daytripper” fee will go into effect on April 18th, 2025, and last for 54 days, into July 27th. The revised fee will be charged during the city’s peak hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.
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Venice is not the only city in Italy that is striving to combat overtourism. Rome is also targeting tourists that have invaded their cities by tampering with key safe locks on holiday rentals; removing them, and the keys from the property, so tourists cannot gain entry.
Nearly 30 million tourists visit Venice, Italy each year, with the entire country of Italy witnessing nearly 90 million international tourists in 2023 alone, according to Statista. For 2024, that data is expected to exceed 100 million tourists visiting Bella Italia.
Anti-tourism activists and protesters have been shouting from the streets and rooftops since the pandemic ended, upon seeing how many tourists traveled to their countries post-Covid. Their heavy footprints on the landscape and environment are causing damage; rent and sale prices of properties have skyrocketed, and any empty properties that could be rented or sold to residents are being swooped up by accommodation hosting sites such as Airbnb for tourism purposes.
As the country continues to battle against overtourism, many more popular tourist destinations, such as Venice, and Rome, will proudly fight the fight to gain control of their cities again, putting an end to mass tourism.