The iconic Italian Floating City will relaunch its tourist tax this week, and last-minute visitors will have to pay double last year’s fee. The daytripper fee aims to help Venice and its residents address the local overtourism crisis and avoid mass influxes of visitors during crowded holidays and weekends. 

The payment system was launched last year for a short trial period after the city was warned it was close to being added to the UN’s list of endangered heritage sites. The next tax will be applied every Friday through Sunday and on holidays for a total of 54 days this year. It will be in force during peak hours, from 8:30am to 4pm.

The new tax will be in force for almost double the number of days it was in place in 2024. In addition, the fee has doubled to €10 (£8.60) for tourists who do not make their reservations up to four days in advance instead of the usual €5 (£4.30).

The fee will be applied from April 18 to July and anyone found beyond the designated control points without the required documentation will be subject to hefty penalties.

The fines will range from €50 (£43) to €300 (£257), plus the maximum entrance fee allowed by law, set at €10. 

Officials, including Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, have emphasised that the programme aims to reduce crowds on peak days, encourage longer visits and improve the quality of life for residents. 

Visitors staying overnight in the historic centre, including the mainland districts of Marghera and Mestre, are exempt from the charge as they are already required to pay a tourist tax. 

Venice’s islands, including the glass-making Murano, are also outside the programme. Exemptions are also in place for those needing access to the city for work, school or medical care, as well as those born in Venice and residents of the Veneto region.

Visitors can book their day in Venice on a dedicated platform. Once the required fee (either €5 or €10) has been paid, daytrippers will get a QR code that will then be checked at spot controls at seven access points around the city, including the main train station. Those staying in city hotels are required to enter their hotel information and receive a QR code, but they do not have to pay, as their hotel bill will already include the Venice lodging fee.

Venice has been suffering from the effects of overtourism for several years and has implemented several rules in an attempt to combat it.

During the period of the €5 fee last year, Venice received an estimated 10.9 million overnight stays, with the city centre experiencing an average of 40,000 tourists per day. Some days saw as many as 75,000 tourists. This has severely impacted the less than 50,000 people who call the Floating City their home.

Other rules in Venice included the banning of large cruise ships from entering the main waterway to the city centre, the Giudecca Canal, in August 2021 to protect the lagoon’s fragile environment. Last year, tourist parties were capped at 25 people and guides have been barred from using loudspeakers to make it more peaceful for residents.

81-year-old local, Edie Rubert, told The Independent last year that it would be better to reduce the size of tour groups further: “You can’t walk along the narrow canalside streets when these groups are there”.