Venice implemented a daytripper fee to combat overtourism and help fund essential services for residents. Despite raising €2.2 million in revenues from nearly 450,000 tourists, the tax has been deemed a failure by some opposition city council members. Critics argue that the fee has not deterred visitors from arriving on peak days, while the city is considering doubling the tax to €10 for 2025. The money raised by the fee is intended to support maintenance, cleaning, and reducing living costs in the city, aiming to make Venice more liveable for residents.
The daytripper fee, which charged visitors €5 on 29 days this year, was met with opposition and delays before being implemented. Despite hopes of curbing overcrowding and encouraging repopulation in Venice’s historic center, the tax has not achieved the desired results. The narrow walkways and water taxis remain crowded, while the city faces challenges in retaining its residents, who have been moving to the more convenient mainland. The number of tourist beds in the historic center now exceeds the number of official residents, which stands at a low of 50,000.
While the daytripper fee aimed to prevent UNESCO from “blacklisting” Venice for a lack of upkeep, it has faced criticism for not achieving this goal. The tax has not significantly reduced overcrowding and failed to make the city more liveable for residents as intended. City officials have not issued fines to those who did not pay the tax, leading to a downward trend in payments as visitors realized there was no risk in dodging the fee. Despite the lack of fines, nearly 450,000 tourists paid the tax, generating revenues that will be used for essential services in the city.
Venice’s top tourism official has indicated that the daytripper levy will continue and may be doubled to €10 in 2025. Some critics argue that increasing the fee would turn Venice into a museum and may not effectively deter visitors. The opposition city council members believe that the tax has not achieved its intended purpose of reducing overtourism and making the city more liveable for residents. Concerns remain about the impact of tourism on Venice’s infrastructure and the need for policies that encourage repopulation of the historic center.
Despite the controversies surrounding Venice’s daytripper fee, officials have emphasized that the tax is not just a revenue-generating tool but aims to support essential services in the city. The funds raised from nearly 450,000 tourists who paid the tax will be used for maintenance, cleaning, and reducing living costs in Venice. Exemptions from the tax apply to certain groups, including children under 14, residents of the region, students, workers, and visitors with special circumstances. The future of the daytripper fee in Venice remains uncertain, with discussions ongoing about potential changes to the levy in the coming years.
