Venice's newly elected mayor proposes raising day-tripper entry fee to 50 euros on peak days
Newly elected Mayor Simone Venturini wants to raise the day-tripper entry fee from the current 5–10 euros to as much as 50 euros on certain days, reigniting debate over how to manage mass tourism in the lagoon city.
Background of the entry fee
Venice introduced an entry fee for day-trippers in 2024, the first city worldwide to do so. For 2026, the fee applies on 60 days from April to July. Tourists over 14 entering between 8:30 and 16:00 without an overnight stay pay 10 euros, or 5 euros if booked at least three days in advance. The measure aims to curb mass tourism that overwhelms the UNESCO World Heritage site annually.
Venturini's proposal
Simone Venturini, 38, was elected mayor in late May as a centre-right candidate, succeeding Luigi Brugnaro, under whom he served as tourism chief and was instrumental in launching the fee. Now he has outlined a steep increase.
He intends to discuss the plan with the government in Rome.If currently it is between five and ten euros, my proposal is to increase it to between 30 and 50 euros on certain days.
- Venice introduces the world's first day-tripper entry fee at 5 euros.
- Fee rises to 10 euros for regular tickets, 5 euros for early bookings.
- Simone Venturini, former tourism assessor, wins mayoral election.
- Venturini proposes raising the fee to 30–50 euros on certain days.
Evidence of limited impact
Critics have long argued the current fee does little to deter visitors. Figures from the city administration appear to support this: of roughly 513,000 tickets sold in the first 42 fee days of 2026, 268,000 were at the 10-euro rate and 245,000 at the 5-euro early-booking rate. City councillor Michele Zuin said,
Between five and ten euros there is no big difference. If the difference were larger, the effect would be different.
- 10-euro (regular)
- 268000
- 5-euro (early booking)
- 245000
Legal and political obstacles
The fee was introduced by municipal decree, but the upper limit is set by national legislation. This means Venturini cannot act unilaterally; he must seek approval from Rome. Constitutional law expert Ludovico Mazzarolli told the Corriere della Sera that a 50-euro charge could be interpreted as a restriction on freedom of movement, raising legal concerns.
Broader debate on overtourism
While Venturini pushes for higher fees, some in the hotel industry, such as Confcommercio's Roberto Panciera, want the charge extended year-round to fund infrastructure. Others call for a more comprehensive tourism strategy instead of just raising prices. The debate echoes across Italy and beyond, where destinations from the Tuscan island of Giglio to Iseltwald in Switzerland have introduced similar fees to control crowds driven by social media and streaming hits.
