Venice’s new mayor seeks to raise day-tripper fee to up to €50

Simone Venturini says proposal aimed at discouraging arrivals in ‘periods of heightened tourist pressure’ Venice’s new mayor has said he hopes to raise a controversial entrance fee for day-trippers to the lagoon city to as much as €50 (£43). Simone Venturini, the rightwing former tourism councillor who was elected as mayor in late May, said the proposal was aimed at further discouraging arrivals “during periods of heightened tourist pressure”. In 2024, Venice became the first tourist city in the world to charge people to enter, introducing a €5 fee on 29 peak dates between April and July. The levy returned in 2025, with an expansion to 54 dates and charging last-minute day-trippers double. This year, the initiative covers 60 dates. Although the scheme has had little impact on visitor numbers, it did rake in €2.4m for the city’s coffers in its first year, much more than expected, and Venice authorities still believe it will eventually contribute to helping the Unesco world heritage city tackle overtourism. Venturini pledged during his election campaign to raise the fee to between €30 and €50, depending on the dates. He said the council was studying a proposal