Venice Announces Entrance Fee To Tourists To Tackle Overcrowding

6 July 2022, 10:34 | Updated: 6 July 2022, 11:04

Venice will begin charging visitors an entrance fee from next year as it attempts to combat overtoursim – here's everything we know so far about the change.

Venice has become the first city to introduce an entrance fee for tourists hoping to visit the famous 'Floating City' in Italy.

The council for the tourism hotspot has announced that the landmark decision will come into effect on January 16, 2023 and will see visitors charged between €3 and €10 to gain access to Venice.

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The change to the city's tourism laws was made in a bid to combat the notorious overcrowding problem, Venice's councillor for tourism, Simone Venturini, called the fee a 'great revolution' as the news was made public on July 1.

At a press conference, the politician said, "Venice is a living city and it has to stay that way," revealing that they hope to reduce visitor peaks and tackle overtourism

The entrance fee is not one fixed price, it is set between €3 and €10 and tourists will be charged depending on how large their group is. The more visitors in one group, the higher the cost.

Venice will release more information regarding the logistics of change later this year, with a ticket booking system preparing to go live online in preparation for January.

There is a list of exemptions to the tourist fee; children under six, disabled people and local homeowners will not have to pay.

People entering the city for health reasons or to visit family will also be exempt and the tourist fee will be waivered for sporting and cultural events.

Approximately 20 million people visit Venice annually and with the sinking city's population sitting at around 270,000, the city's councillors hope to finally remedy the long-standing tourist issue.

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