Mayor Venturini proposes charging day-trippers €30-50 instead of the current €5-10 when visitor numbers are extremely high.
Data from 2026 show nearly equal numbers paid the €5 and €10 rates, with 52% choosing the last-minute option.
The Venice Hoteliers Association says a €50 fee is modest compared with entrance charges at famous archaeological sites.
The ticket ceiling was set by national legislation, so Venturini must obtain government approval to raise it.
Newly elected mayor Simone Venturini announced a plan to raise the day-tripper entry fee to €30-50 on the busiest days. The current levy of €5 for advance bookings and €10 for last-minute visitors has not cut visitor numbers, he said. Venturini, a 38-year-old centre-right politician who won the 25 May runoff, promised the hike during his campaign. The local council is drafting a proposal to submit to Rome, seeking permission to charge higher rates when reservation thresholds are exceeded.
Data from the first 42 days of this year show the €5/€10 split is too small to deter anyone. Of 514,710 contributions collected, 245,503 visitors booked early to pay €5 while 268,207 paid the full €10 last-minute. Budget councillor Michele Zuin admitted the numbers reveal no meaningful difference between the two price points. “The problem is the numbers. There is no significant difference between 5 euros and 10 euros. If the threshold were much higher, the effect would be completely different,” he told Italian media.
Data from the article text
The hotel industry supports a much higher ceiling. Daniele Minotto, director of the Venice Hoteliers Association (AVA), called the €50 figure reasonable when compared with admission to major archaeological sites. Zuin stressed that extra revenue would flow back into maintaining the city. In its first year, the existing scheme collected €2.4 million, far exceeding initial forecasts.
Venturini cannot raise the fee unilaterally. Although the ticket was introduced by municipal regulation, the ceiling was set by national law, so the mayor must negotiate with the government in Rome. Constitutional law expert Ludovico Mazzarolli told Corriere della Sera that a €50 charge could be challenged as a restriction on freedom of movement.
Venice became the first city in the world to charge day-trippers in 2024, applying a €5 fee on 29 peak days between April and July. The following year the programme expanded to 54 days and doubled the price for last-minute bookings. In 2026 the fee covers 60 days, with fines of €50–300 for non-payment. Overnight guests, residents of the Veneto region and children under 14 remain exempt. Despite the levies, the UNESCO-listed city still draws 25–30 million tourists a year.
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support PollarBusiness · Venice
Simone Venturini, the new mayor of Venice, wants to increase the charge for day visitors from the current €5-10 to as much as €50 on high-traffic dates, arguing it is the only effective tool to manage daily tourist numbers.
AI text based on reports by Ziare.com, Libertatea, Digi24 and other publishers. Published .