by InTrieste
Venice will widen the scope of its entry fee program in 2026, expanding the number of days on which visitors will be required to pay to enter the historic city center, city officials announced this week.
The policy, aimed at managing the impact of large numbers of day-trippers on the fragile lagoon city, will be in effect on 60 days next year — up from 54 days in 2025 and twice the number of days it was applied when the system was first introduced in 2024.
Venice pioneered the fee as a response to chronic overcrowding, which has long strained the city’s infrastructure, public services and residential life. Millions of visitors arrive each year, many of them on short visits from cruise ships, tour buses or nearby cities, often overwhelming narrow streets and public transport while contributing relatively little to the local economy.
Under the system, visitors who enter Venice without an overnight reservation on designated days are required to register in advance and pay a fee during peak hours, which remain set from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 2026.
City officials said on Wednesday that the price for next year’s fee has not yet been finalized. In 2025, the base rate was €5 per person, but rose to €10 for those who booked fewer than four days in advance — a pricing structure designed to encourage visitors to plan ahead and help authorities better anticipate crowd levels.
The fee does not apply to overnight guests, who already pay a tourist tax through their accommodation, nor to Venice residents, commuters, students and certain categories of workers. Visitors who fail to comply face fines that can reach several hundred euros.
City leaders have said the measure is not intended to discourage tourism but to make it more sustainable, particularly during peak periods when the city experiences its highest visitor volumes.
