If there’s one destination synonymous with overtourism, its Venice. The 415 sq km city, comprised of 118 islands, receives around 30 million visitors per year, many of them day trippers who flood the main sites before heading on a train or cruise ship to other destinations in Italy.
In April last year, the city introduced a new tourist fee of €5 (£4.15) for those entering the ancient city in a bid to curb visitor numbers. And now that fee will be doubling to €10 (£8.25) for last-minute visitors who pay their dues within four days of arriving.
The access fee is currently only applicable for peak dates between April and July. This year, it will apply between Friday 18 April and Sunday 4 May, and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday after that until the end of July. It will also apply on Monday 2 June, aka Republic Day, a public holiday across the country.
It applies for travellers visiting between 8am and 4.30pm on those dates – meaning day trippers and overnight guests will both have to pay it.
Unlike in 2024, the fee will not apply to those visiting minor islands such as the Venice Lido, Burano and Milano.
Visitors can pay the access fee on the Venizia Unica website, although payments are not currently being accepted for 2025 dates.
Other measures now in place to help protect the historic city, which dates back to the 10th century BC, include a ban on large cruise ships entering the Giudecca canal, introduced in 2021, and a cap on tourist group sizes to 25 people, which came into effect in 2023.
Elsewhere in Italy, the city of Florence has banned check-in keyboxes typically used by apartments being rented out on Airbnb or other platforms, as well as the use of loudspeakers by tour guides.
More information: veneziaunica.it
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