Venice authorities mentioned on Wednesday they might develop a controversial entry price system for vacationers subsequent yr, growing the variety of days on which the cost will likely be due for the second consecutive yr.
Venice’s metropolis council mentioned in an announcement that the entry price system could be in place on a complete of 60 days in 2026 (discover the complete checklist beneath), up from 54 this yr and 29 in 2024.
The scheme was set to begin on April third and finish on July twenty sixth, it added, noting that day trippers could be required to pay for entry to Venice’s centro storico (historic centre) between 8.30am and 4pm on all the chosen dates.
Councillors mentioned the price would proceed to use completely to Venice, with smaller islands within the lagoon, together with Murano, Burano and Lido, excluded from its scope.
They additionally mentioned the precise value of a ticket could be disclosed at a later date, sparking media hypothesis that the native administration could also be contemplating mountain climbing the cost for the second yr in a row.
City finances councillor Michele Zuin hailed the approval of the 2026 entry price calendar as “a vital step” which might enable native authorities to plan the main points of the scheme properly forward of time.
“Venice is the primary metropolis on this planet to have gone down this path, and we’ll proceed to take action to guard town’s liveability whereas additionally enhancing guests’ expertise,” he added.
First launched in 2024, the system is a part of broader plans to ease the pressure of mass tourism on Venice’s fragile infrastructure amid a decades-long inhabitants decline tied to a extreme housing disaster and excessive dwelling prices.
READ ALSO: Why Venice’s inhabitants disaster goes deeper than tourism
While Mayor Luigi Brugnaro’s administration has repeatedly defended it as a useful gizmo for managing vacationer flows and persuading day trippers to decide on much less busy instances for his or her visits, the entry price has lengthy confronted robust opposition from residents’ associations and grassroots teams.
In specific, critics have argued that the cost has achieved little to cut back vacationer crowds up to now, pointing to solely negligible decreases in customer numbers through the scheme’s 2024 and 2025 trial phases.
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Local opposition teams have additionally slammed the tassa d’accesso for turning town into “a theme park” and making residents “prisoners of their very own metropolis”.
According to information cited by La Repubblica, Venice’s ticketing system generated €5.4 million in income this yr, with over 720,000 folks paying to entry town.
2026 entry price dates
Venice’s entry price system will likely be operative between 8.30am and 4pm on the next dates:
- April: 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
- May: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31
- June: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28
- July: 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26
