Venice will reintroduce its day-visitor fee, the Contributo di Accesso, from 3 April to 26 July 2026, the city announced. The measure aims to manage the strain that tourism places on the historic city.
Over a 60-day period, the fee will apply to day visitors aged 14 and over entering Venice’s historic centre between 08:30 and 16:00. Overnight guests are exempt but must register for an exemption voucher. Visitors are required to book their access through the Venezia Unica platform, which issues a QR code for inspection.
Early bookings, made at least four days in advance, cost €5 per person; last-minute bookings will be €10. The digital system is intended to streamline access, improve visitor experience, and reduce administrative burdens.
How are the day-visitor fee funds used?
The fee is not new: a trial programme launched in 2024 raised around €2.4 million, and the 2025 pilot brought in more than €5.4 million from roughly 720,000 paying tourists.
So far, the city has begun spending the funds in targeted ways. The most concrete use has been to reduce waste-tax (TARI) costs for local residents, with €1.5 million allocated in 2025. Beyond this, broader spending on infrastructure or heritage preservation has not yet been publicly reported, as the programme is still considered a pilot and the city continues to evaluate its impact.
City officials say that revenues from the fee are intended to cover tourism-related services and infrastructure, support sustainable visitor management, and fund improvements that protect Venice’s historic fabric. However, with the access fee programme expanding and entering its second full year, further allocations are expected to follow once the city completes a review of the pilot phase.
The reintroduction of the Contributo di Accesso reflects Venice’s ongoing efforts to balance tourism with the needs of residents and the preservation of the city’s unique heritage.
