In an ongoing effort to tackle the issue of overtourism, Venice has implemented an arrivals tax for day visitors for the second consecutive year starting Friday. This measure comes as a response to concerns that the influx of tourists could jeopardize the city’s UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status. Following the announcement of the tax, a UNESCO committee chose not to list Venice as an endangered cultural site. However, critics argue that this fee has not significantly reduced the number of visitors, even during peak tourist days.
For those entering the historic center of Venice but not staying overnight, a fee ranging from 5 to 10 euros (approximately $6-$11) is charged. This fee applies during the second year of the pilot program. Visitors planning ahead and downloading a QR code at least three days in advance can pay just 5 euros, mirroring last year’s charge. On the contrary, those making spontaneous visits are expected to fork out double the initial fee. The QR code system operates daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at key access points such as the Santa Lucia train station, the Piazzale Roma bus depot, and the Tronchetto parking facility.
In the current year, there are 54 designated days when the entrance fee will be enforced, primarily covering weekends and holidays between April 18 and July 27—an increase from last year’s 29 days. The updated schedule accounts for entire weeks during significant holidays and includes Fridays in the extended weekend period.
Last year, Venice accrued 2.4 million euros from the pilot program’s fees. Nonetheless, the city’s leading budget figure, Michele Zuin, disclosed that operational costs had reached 2.7 million euros, exceeding the total revenue generated. This year, Zuin anticipates a surplus between 1 million and 1.5 million euros, aimed at defraying expenses like waste management and other local services.
In 2024, about 450,000 day-trippers paid the tax, with 12,744 entries recorded on a single Friday—comprising 7,173 visitors paying the steeper 10-euro rate. Moreover, 77,000 have registered to visit this year alongside 117,000 exemptions granted to individuals born in Venice, those who contribute property taxes, and those studying, working, or residing in the broader Veneto region.
On average, Venice welcomed 75,000 visitors each of the first 11 days of 2024 in which the day-tripper fee was in place. This is roughly 10,000 more than observed during the prior year’s main holidays. Giovanni Andrea Martini, a city council member who opposes the fee, claims that these statistics illustrate the ineffectiveness of the tax in deterring tourists.
Venice’s historic center, an intricate network of over 100 islands linked by footbridges, currently houses 48,283 official residents. This figure is a decline from its peak of 174,000 in 1951 when Venice was buoyed by flourishing industries. The population gradually decreased post-World War II as residents vied for modern amenities available on the mainland. In recent years, the decline has accelerated due to dwindling local industry, the lure of mainland conveniences, rising housing costs, and what activists refer to as tourism’s “mono-culture,” which they argue has led to a scarcity of essential services like retail shops and healthcare.
The number of tourist accommodations recently surpassed that of permanent residents, with around 51,129 beds available, including 12,627 within the burgeoning short-term rental sector, according to data from the Ocio housing activist group as of this April. Overnight visitors staying at city hotels, including those in the mainland areas of Mestre and Marghera, are subject to a lodging tax, rendering them exempt from the day-tripper fee.
Venice reports a staggering 25 to 30 million annual arrivals, comprising both daytime and overnight guests, as confirmed by cellular data monitoring within the Smart Control Room since 2020.