Venice entry fee: city considers raising day-tripper charge to up to €30 from 2027

In short: Venice’s councillor for budget, taxes and public companies, Michele Zuin, announced in an interview with the Gazzettino published on 21 September 2026 that the city’s access fee (Contributo di Accesso) is set to become a permanent, structural measure from 2027 – with higher rates and more chargeable days. A figure of up to €30 is under discussion, with €50 mentioned at times in the past. No final decision has been made: it requires agreement with the Italian government and parliament. Nothing changes for the current 2026 season.

Why the current €5–10 is no longer seen as effective

Since 2024, Venice has charged an access fee on selected days to day-trippers who don’t stay overnight: €5 for early booking, €10 for last-minute registration. The city administration now considers these amounts too low to have any effect. “The current €5 to €10 is now affordable for everyone – the risk is that it no longer has the deterrent effect this measure was meant to have,” Zuin told the Gazzettino. The stated goal is not to raise additional revenue but to noticeably reduce visitor pressure on the most critical days – particularly so-called “hit and run” tourism, short visits without an overnight stay.

Not the first proposal: Mayor Venturini’s push in June 2026

Zuin’s announcement is not where this debate started. Back in June 2026, new mayor Simone Venturini had already proposed his own version: a variable fee between €30 and €50, with the exact amount depending on booking demand for a given day. Residents, commuting workers and guests staying overnight in the lagoon would have remained exempt under this model too. Venturini travelled to Rome at the time to present the proposal to the relevant ministries, since fee ceilings are set at national level and cannot be changed by the municipality alone. Zuin’s current announcement can be read as a continuation of that initiative launched in summer, now with a more concrete target of €30.

Supporters and critics: a divided debate

Reactions to the planned increase have varied sharply since June. Venice’s hotel association reportedly signalled support: a higher fee could help protect accommodation businesses in the city and on the mainland, provided it is implemented with a sense of proportion. On the other side, city councillor Nicola Pellicani (PD) voiced doubts about the instrument’s effectiveness overall, pointing out that the existing fee has not visibly managed visitor flows so far. Former mayor Massimo Cacciari went further, reportedly calling the measure a “barbarity” that reduces Venice to a kind of museum. Constitutional law scholar Ludovico Mazzarolli told the Corriere della Sera that a fee of this size could legally be seen as a restriction on freedom of movement. The debate is thus not just about the size of the fee, but touches on fundamental questions about governing a city that is both a living community and a World Heritage site.

€30 or €50? The city needs Rome’s agreement

Zuin named a possible figure of around €30 to the Gazzettino, after €50 had also been discussed in the past. His argument: someone who has already visited Venice many times and wants to come again on, say, 1 May, would be more likely to choose a day trip elsewhere if the fee were noticeably higher. However, the city cannot set the final amount on its own – that requires agreement with the Italian government and parliament, since the legal framework for the access fee is set at national level. Zuin stressed that no decision has been made yet and that the city is currently evaluating data from the three-year trial period as well as the administrative costs of running the scheme.

More chargeable days under discussion: March and September too

Alongside the amount, the period of application is also up for debate. So far, the fee has mainly applied between April and July. An extension to March and September is now being discussed – months in which the city still records high visitor numbers. There is also talk of additional events designed to extend the season and spread visitor flows more evenly across the year, including greater involvement of the Lido.

The overnight tourist tax may rise too

Alongside the access fee, the city is also considering raising the tourist tax (Tassa di Soggiorno), paid by guests who stay overnight. A maximum of €8–9 per night is under discussion for 5-star hotels, which would bring Venice in line with other major Italian cities that have already raised their rates. According to Zuin, the funds needed for visitor management and campaigns such as #EnjoyRespectVenezia should come from tourism itself rather than burdening residents and local businesses. He also referred to a related request from the hotel industry that any change be made with a sense of balance so as not to harm their own businesses.

What this means for your trip

Nothing changes for a visit during the current 2026 season – the access fee applied in 2026 only on 60 designated days between 3 April and 26 July, and has been suspended since 27 July through the end of the year. Should the new rules take effect as outlined in 2027, day-trippers without an overnight stay could face significantly higher costs on the affected days, while overnight guests and residents would remain exempt. All currently valid rules, deadlines and exemptions for the 2026 access fee are available at Venice Entry Fee 2026: Contributo di Accesso, Calendar & Booking. We will update that page as soon as the city council and the Italian government agree on a binding rule for 2027.