Venice Introduces Entrance Fee for Tourists: Will it Curb Mass Tourism?

Tourists who want to visit the Italian city of Venice have to pay an entrance fee for the first time today. A ticket costs five euros. The measure is a test and applies to the 29 busiest days of the year.

Venice attracts millions of visitors every year, especially day-trippers. By charging an entrance fee, the town hopes to reduce the number of tourists on the busiest days.

The ticket can be bought online or in town. People staying overnight do not need to buy a ticket: they already pay the tourist tax for their stay. Residents and their visitors are also excluded.

Venice has been trying to limit the number of tourists for years. Many visitors raise concerns about the quality of life in the old town. The number of residents has been declining for years. Immediately after the war 150,000 people still lived in the historic centre, but that number has now fallen to less than 50,000.

Raising an entrance fee is not the only step the city will take. From this summer, groups cannot exceed 25 people. The use of loudspeakers is also prohibited. Large cruise ships, which were often seen in the port city in recent years, were forced to anchor outside the center from 2021.

There has been a long debate about introducing a day ticket. Critics questioned whether a five-euro ticket is expensive enough to put off tourists. A city councilor said last year that the ticket is also intended to attract day-trippers to come on a quieter day.