Venice, Italy, officials have announced the possibility of doubling its daily tourist tax to €10 after a successful summer trial. The trial, which charged day-trippers €5 during peak periods, generated approximately €2.4 million ($2.61 million).
Launched April 25, 2024, the Venice Access Fee charged visitors for visits from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on 29 specified days through mid-July, the peak of the city’s tourist season.
The dates included those between April 25 and May 5 and every weekend from May 11 through July 14, and they applied only to visitors arriving for just one day.
The tax did not apply to hotel guests, who already pay a lodging tax in their hotel prices, and also excluded children under 14, residents, and workers. It did, however, impact cruise passengers disembarking to enjoy excursions in Venice, requiring them to register online and obtain a QR code for payment.
During the trial, the city reported that the tax was paid 485,062 times over the 29 days, amounting to around €2.4 million. An average of 75,000 visitors per day were recorded, 10,000 more than the same period in 2023.
The introduction of the fee was met with mixed reactions as the city fights to control an influx of tourists and preserve Venice’s cultural heritage. Some argued the tax was not enough to deter visitors, as evidenced by the increase in peak tourism in 2024.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro told local news channels, “We listened to citizens, associations, and thousands of people, but in the end, there were no alternative solutions to ours.”
The city said the revenue is intended for essential services like rubbish removal and maintenance. After such success, it will consider increasing the tax after examining the data fully. A decision will be made by fall.
Venice Struggles with Over-tourism
Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, has been grappling with the challenges of over-tourism for years, with over 5.5 million visitors recorded before the pandemic in 2019. Of those visitors, 1.6 million were cruise passengers, and the city witnessed crowd surges surpassing 60,000 daily visitors during peak periods, more than doubling the population of the lagoon city.
The influx has led to significant environmental and infrastructural challenges. In August 2021, Venice implemented a ban on large cruise ships to address some of the issues. Ships exceeding 25,000 gross tons, 180 meters in length, and 35 meters in height were prohibited from docking in the historical city center.
Instead, large ships have been redirected to the nearby port of Porto Marghera, five miles from Venice’s historical center.
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The decision came years after pressure from environmentalists wanting to reduce the damage caused by the vessels to the city’s foundations and environment, as well as UNESCO, which had threatened to delist Venice from the World Heritage Sites if actions were not taken to mitigate the impact of over-tourism.
Despite the measures, the city’s struggle continues. Venice still experiences surges of 30,000 to 40,000 visitors daily during peak seasons. If Venice moves ahead with the tax, it could generate nearly $5 million for the city in less than three months in 2025.
