 "Venice extends day-tripper tax to combat overtourism; doubles fee to Rs 910")
Italy’s Venice is set to extend its day-tripper tax into next year, city officials announced on Thursday. The decision seeks to manage the growing problem of overtourism by increasing the number of days tourists will need to pay to enter the iconic city.
“The tax is essential for helping the city and its residents cope with the overwhelming influx of visitors, especially during crowded weekends and holidays,” said mayor Luigi Brugnaro.
What changes are being made?
The new tax will be in effect every Friday through Sunday, along with holidays, from April 18 to July 27, 2025. This adds up to 54 days where tourists will have to pay a fee, almost double the days it was applied this year. For those who don’t book in advance, the fee will double from €5 (approximately £4.50) to €10 (about £9.00).
The tax will be enforced during peak hours, specifically from 8.30 am to 4 pm. Residents, students, workers, and visitors with lodging reservations will be exempt from the fee.
Has the tax helped Venice?
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Yes, said mayor Brugnaro.
At the end of its initial trial phase last July, the tax generated €2.4 million (approximately £2.16 million), with around 1,000 entries recorded on each testing day. In response to critics who labelled the tax a failure, Mayor Brugnaro defended it saying, “Venice is the first city in the world that tries to manage the problem of overtourism. We obtained important results.”
The introduction of the day-tripper tax followed concerns about the city being placed on a list of endangered world heritage sites by UNESCO. The city successfully avoided this designation two years prior after implementing a ban on cruise ships navigating through the Giudecca canal and St Mark’s Basin.
Tourist taxes: A global trend
Venice is not alone in its approach to managing tourism through financial measures. Many popular cities across the globe have introduced similar tourist taxes to regulate visitor numbers and generate revenue for local infrastructure.
In Barcelona, tourists face both a regional tax and a city surcharge that can amount to several euros per night based on their accommodation type. Paris adjusts its tourist tax depending on the star rating of hotels, with luxury accommodations incurring higher fees.
In Austria, visitors must pay a nightly accommodation tax, which varies by province. In tourist hotspots like Vienna and Salzburg, this tax can be around 3.02 per cent of the hotel bill per person, added to the overall accommodation costs.
Belgium also has a tourist tax that differs by city and hotel rating. For instance, visitors to Brussels typically pay around €7.50 (about £6.75) per room, collected during check-in or check-out.
Bhutan takes a distinct approach with a daily fee of $100 (around £80) per visitor, aimed at supporting sustainable tourism. This fee will remain in place until at least 2027, helping to preserve the country’s cultural heritage and environment while controlling visitor numbers.