Venice adds more travel fees to help control growing tourist crowds. AP Photo
Venice has brought back its day-tripper tax for a second year. Officials aim to reduce crowding and help preserve the city. They also hope the fee will support services like trash collection. However, the fee has not stopped large crowds from visiting.
Day-trippers are visitors who spend the day in Venice but do not stay overnight. They now need to pay 5 euros (about $6) if they register at least three days before their trip. Last-minute visitors who don’t register in advance must pay 10 euros (about $11). Entry points such as train and bus stations now have QR code scanners. Visitors must scan their codes to enter the city.
The city made 2.4 million euros from the tax last year. But it cost around 2.7 million euros to manage the program. This year, city leaders expect to earn between 1 and 1.5 million euros. The money will help cover city services such as cleaning and maintaining public spaces.
Around 450,000 people paid the fee last year. Still, the number of visitors remained high. During the first 11 days of the program, Venice saw an average of 75,000 tourists per day. That’s 10,000 more than the average during major holidays in 2023. The fee clearly did not reduce tourism.
The day-tripper fee doesn’t apply every day. Venice has picked 54 specific days when day visitors must pay. These days mostly fall on weekends and holidays between April 18 and July 27. Last year, the city only had 29 such days.
Venice faces serious issues from overtourism. The number of hotel beds now exceeds the number of residents. About 25 to 30 million people visit Venice each year. For every one local, there are 21 tourists. This causes crowded streets, strain on services, and a housing shortage. Many homes have become short-term rentals for visitors.
City leaders say the fee is one step toward solving these problems. But they also ask tourists to travel more thoughtfully. Visitors should consider coming during off-peak seasons. Staying in local hotels instead of short-term rentals can also help.
Venice wants to protect its history and culture. Too many visitors at once put the city’s beauty and daily life at risk. The goal is not to stop people from coming, but to make sure tourism doesn’t harm what makes Venice special.
