Venice is once again at the centre of Europe’s overtourism debate, as local voices propose a dramatic increase in the city’s tourist entry fee.
The suggestion to raise the charge from the current €5 to €100 for day-trippers has been made by Setrak Tokatzian, president of the St Mark’s Square residents’ association, who argues the city is facing a “state of calamity” due to overwhelming visitor numbers.
The proposal follows the conclusion of a 29-day trial scheme held between 25 April and 14 July 2024, during which the city charged day-trippers a €5 fee to enter. This pilot phase targeted non-resident visitors not staying overnight and saw the deployment of enforcement teams at rail stations and other key points. Offenders who failed to register or pay the fee were fined between €50 and €300 and also required to pay a €10 charge retrospectively.
The initiative, a global first for a metropolitan area, recorded over 3.6 million registrations and attracted 485,000 day-trippers. Crucially, daily visitor numbers during the trial period never surpassed those recorded on the same days in 2023, suggesting a slight moderation in footfall.
Despite raising €2.4 million in revenue, the system’s operational costs exceeded income in its first year, according to deputy mayor Simone Venturini. Nonetheless, the city intends to expand the scheme in 2025, potentially increasing the number of applicable days from 29 to 100 and adjusting the entry fee upwards to as much as €10, depending on demand. The permissible range under Italian law remains between €3 and €10.
Venice receives approximately 30 million visitors annually. Tokatzian argues that the vast majority of these are day-trippers who contribute little to the local economy. “They flood the city, follow guides, ride gondolas, take taxis, but buy nothing and often don’t even know where they are,” he told Corriere del Veneto. His proposal for a €100 entry fee is aimed at deterring what he termed “obscene” levels of non-contributory tourism.
The existing scheme exempts residents, students, workers, and overnight tourists. Visitors with accommodation reservations are not subject to the entry fee. Critics argue that even the €5 charge has failed to change tourist behaviour, with many still bypassing local businesses and supporting illegal street vendors.
Opposition to Tokatzian’s €100 proposal has been vocal. Claudio Vernier, former president of the same residents’ association, argued that such a high fee would create unrealistic expectations among tourists and risk transforming Venice into a “theme park”.
“To believe that an entry fee of €100 can solve this sick system is a pure illusion,” Vernier wrote on social media. “This doesn’t teach visitors respect or awareness. Instead, it invites expectations of a flawless and luxurious experience, which Venice, as a living, fragile city, cannot deliver.”
A Broader European Trend
Venice is not alone in facing the pressures of mass tourism. The city’s broader strategy includes capping the number of new hotels in the city centre, relocating cruise ship terminals away from the urban core, and limiting group tour sizes to 25 people. New restrictions on short-term rentals are also due in September.
Elsewhere in Europe, similar measures are under way. Amsterdam is moving its cruise terminal out of the city centre and halting new hotel construction. Barcelona has announced a complete ban on short-term tourist rentals by 2029 and introduced additional taxes for cruise passengers.
Tourist Density and Regional Imbalance
Data published by Which? highlights the scale of tourism pressure on popular regions. Zakynthos in Greece ranks as the most crowded destination in Europe, with nearly 150,000 tourists per square kilometre. Istria in Croatia (133,467), Fuerteventura (118,720), and the Cyclades group including Mykonos and Santorini (104,152) also feature high on the list.
In contrast, regions such as Teleorman in Romania (1.2 tourists/km²), Jan Mayen in Norway (0), and Svalbard (2.4) remain sparsely visited. Paris leads in absolute density, with 418,280 tourists per square kilometre, followed by central Athens and Copenhagen.
For overnight stays, Mallorca remains Europe’s most visited destination with over 51 million recorded annually, ahead of Paris (43.9 million) and Rome (41.1 million).
Looking Ahead
While Venice’s €100 entry proposal is unlikely to be implemented in its current form without substantial political support, the city’s leadership remains committed to refining its tourism management policies. As council officials prepare to expand and recalibrate the existing fee system in 2025, the debate over how to balance cultural preservation, economic benefit, and visitor access will continue.
The outcome in Venice is likely to influence policy across Europe, where cities are increasingly looking to limit tourist numbers while preserving the integrity of local life and infrastructure.
