Venice's trial of a tourist levy has had limited success in reducing crowd numbers, prompting ciꦚty officials to consider raising the charge next year, according to a key politician overseei𓄧ng the initiative.
In April, Venice introduced a €5 ($5.45) fee for daytrippers on particularly congested days, a world-first measure aimed at managing tourism. The pilot scheme covered 29 days and concludes on Sunday, after which a consul♐tation period will determine the project’s fu♉ture.
Simone Venturini, the city councilor responsible for tourism and social cohesion, stated that the initial results were positive but acknowledged that crowds remained substantial. "On some weekends there were fewer people than the same time last year... but no one expected all the day trippers to miraculously disappear," Venturini told Reuters from Venice. He confirmed the system would be renewed in 2025, with an increase in both the numberꦜ of days the fee is applied and the fee amoun𒐪t, though he did not specify the new price.
The fee is intended to deter daytrippers, especially during weekends and holidays when visitor nܫumbers can exceed 100,000—twice the local population. Hotel guests are exempt from the charge.
However, the scheme has faced criticism. Opposition councilor Giovanni Andrea Martini described it as a "total failure," noting that the city remains crowded and that the number of p✱eople paying the charge has decreased as fines for non-compliance 🐓have not been enforced.
Venturini admitt𒁏ed there had been "very few, or probably no fines" but emphasized that the 💞focus was on informing visitors during the experimental phase rather than penalizing them.
Martini suggested an alternative approach involving a free booking system for visitor slots, which would prevent lower-income families from being priced out and allow for better crowd management. "We need to be able to warn people that if they come on certain days, they are not going to have a good time," he said. He also emphasized the importance of attracting long-term residents back to the city, which has seen 🗹a decline in permanent residents d🦩ue to the rise of short-term rentals.
The consultati♊on period will provide a clearer direction for Venice's efforts to manage tourism while balancing the needs of i🍷ts residents and preserving the city's status as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
