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Protests over tourist prices: Venice is facing a new crisis!
Venice will impose a tourist fee in 2025 to combat overtourism. Citizen protests are increasing, exceptions apply.
Protests over tourist prices: Venice is facing a new crisis!
From Good Friday, April 14, 2025, Venice will introduce a new tourist tax regulating access to the city during peak visiting times. This measure was introduced to curb the increasing influx of day tourists, who often only spend a few hours in the city. The fee is 10 euros for visitors who do not live in Venice, provided the booking is made at least four days in advance. In a previous test run, a fee of 5 euros was charged over a month in order to monitor the impact on the number of visitors. Small newspaper reports that the fees are due between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Visitors who arrive without the required QR code risk fines of up to 300 euros during checks. The QR code is sent to the guests' cell phone after payment. Certain groups are exempt from the fee, including locals, students, people working or staying in Venice, and children under 14. Despite these regulations, there is growing resistance to the fee. So-called “ticket refusers” have used social media to call for people not to pay the fee, which has alarmed authorities as fake QR codes are circulating online. Euronews added that hundreds of people have already demonstrated against the fees.
Resident protests and financial background
In the latest test phase of the entry fee, the authorities registered 485,000 paying visitors and recorded revenue of over 2.4 million euros. This is an indication of the enormous interest, but also the fact that the city has become a hotspot for mass tourism. Many residents see the fee as a distraction from the real challenges that Venice's overcrowding poses. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has stressed that it is not a measure to generate money, but that it is intended to reduce congestion and the problems it causes.
However, Venice is not alone in this fight against overtourism. The city faces similar challenges to other popular travel destinations around the world. Tourexpi describes that many destinations, including Santorini, Barcelona and Machu Picchu, are suffering from the same pressures and are considering similar measures to regulate tourist flows and protect local infrastructure. This highlights that overtourism remains a global problem that needs to be urgently addressed.