With overtourism on the rise, many popular destinations have attempted to curb crowds by implementing some form of a tourist tax. One particularly in-demand European hot spot has introduced a “day tripper” tax, levied on tourists who come for just a single day without staying overnight. Now, this highly trafficked city is looking at raising the daily visitor fee above $50 USD — 10 times higher than what it currently is. Here’s what you need to know before budgeting for your next Italian vacation.

The City of Canals and Tourist Taxes

Attracting approximately 25 million to 30 million annual tourists, Venice, Italy, is among the most popular European cities to visit. And it’s easy to see why, with the chance to take a romantic gondola ride through the city’s iconic canals and admire landmarks like St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace. But Venice’s historic city center wasn’t designed to accommodate such large crowds, and the swarms of daily visitors have put a strain on its local infrastructure. During peak periods, more than 110,000 tourists — double the population — visit its historic city center in a single day.

To address the effects of mass tourism, Venice began charging a hotel tax in 2011, imposing a nightly fee of 1 to 5 euros (roughly $1.15 to $5.77 USD) on hotel stays for the first five nights.

The city took the idea one step further in 2024 when it began levying a new 5-euro tax on any visitor taking a day trip into the city center, even if they weren’t staying overnight. Initially, the tax applied only on 29 peak dates from April through July, aiming to cut down on crowds during the busy tourist season. Then, in 2025, the day-trip tax expanded to 54 dates throughout the spring and summer. It also upped the last-minute booking fee to 10 euros (remaining at 5 euros for anyone who booked at least four days in advance of their day trip). 

In 2026, the fees kicked in on April 3 and ran through July 26, applying to 60 dates (mainly weekends) during that time period. Going forward, however, the city’s new mayor has an ambitious plan that may put a dent in your travel budget.

Raising the Fee

In May 2026, Simone Venturini, who previously served as the city’s top tourism official, was elected as the mayor of Venice. He campaigned on discouraging tourism “during periods of heightened tourist pressure.” In an effort to achieve that goal, Venturini has proposed raising Venice’s daily tourism fee to between 30 and 50 euros (approximately $34.63 to $57.72 USD), with a system of dynamic pricing according to which days have peak demand.

Now that Venturini has taken office, the city council has begun exploring that possibility. However, the proposals have been met with criticism, with some saying the costs would be prohibitively high for visitors, and folks on the other end of the spectrum arguing that the day-tripper taxes have failed to do enough in curbing visitors and the negative effects on city infrastructure. 

The mayor clarified in an interview with the Associated Press that “the goal is not to raise money or to turn Venice into a ticketed city,” but rather “to give both residents and visitors a better experience on days when the city would otherwise be too crowded.” He added, “Day-trippers obviously generate waste — they eat, they drink, they throw things away. That comes at a huge cost.”

Who’s Eligible and Who’s Exempt?

While Venice has yet to approve any pricing increase for 2027, the fee is expected to work the same way as in past years. It’s payable online before arrival and applies only to day trips into the historic city center on peak days during peak hours. The days and hours fluctuate throughout the year, so before traveling to Venice, you’ll need to consult the official website after it’s updated for 2027.

There are several groups who are exempt from this daily tax — for example, anyone staying the night in Venice with a confirmed booking at a hotel or similar accommodation (though they will pay the nightly tourism tax mentioned above). Children under the age of 14 also are exempt, as are residents of the larger Veneto region of Italy in which Venice is located.

Those subject to paying the day-tripper tax include adults or children age 14 or older who are visiting Venice without plans to spend the night. The tax applies to each individual traveler (as opposed to the group as a whole) — so, if you’re planning a day trip to Venice sometime next year as a family of four, you may have no choice but to pony up 200 euros (around $230 USD) if the city’s plan is enacted.