What is the new Venice entry fee and how will it work?
In November, authorities in Venice introduced a pilot program aimed at reducing overcrowding during peak times: a day-tripper fee, which has now been put into effect.
Signs informing incoming visitors about the €5 fee for a trial period lasting 29 days until July have been installed at key entry points such as the main train station.
From the 25th of April, visitors will need to pay a €5 fee to enter Venice’s fragile lagoon city. The fee will be enforced on peak weekends and selected days from April to mid-July.
It will apply during peak hours from 8:30 am to 4 pm. However, visitors attending evening events such as dinners or concerts will be exempt. Other exemptions include residents, Venetian-born visitors, students, workers, and tourists with lodging reservations.
Visitors can reserve their visit to Venice through a dedicated platform, with day-trippers paying €5 and receiving a QR code for spot checks at seven access points across the city. Those with hotel reservations provide their accommodation details to obtain a QR code and are exempt from payment, as the fee is included in their hotel bill.
Approximately 200 stewards have been trained to assist visitors who are unfamiliar with the fee process by guiding them through the QR code download procedure.
For those without smartphones, a kiosk has been established. Upon passing designated entry points, officials will carry out random checks for QR codes showing either payment of the day-tripper tax, or an exemption.
Failure to comply may result in fines ranging from €50 to €300. The fee requirement currently only applies to visitors arriving between 8:30 am and 4 pm; entry is free outside of these hours.
Tourists can purchase tickets and get their QR code through an online payment platform, which launched on January 16. The introduction of the entry fee aims to stop overcrowding, encourage longer stays, and improve the quality of life for residents.
The decision also follows Venice narrowly avoiding placement on UNESCO’s danger list last year due to damage caused by over-tourism to its fragile ecosystem.
The proposed entry fee played a role in member states’ decision to spare Venice from the list. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro clarified that the fee is not intended to generate additional revenue but rather to experiment with regulating tourist flows and encourage people to avoid visiting during peak periods in one of the world’s most-visited destinations.
The number of day-trippers exceeds 30,000 to 40,000, according to the city’s top tourism official, Simone Venturini. Its narrow streets become congested, and water taxis are overcrowded, which often gets in the way of residents’ daily activities.
