Canadians may face higher fees to visit Venice as city considers new tourist charge

Venice is considering another increase to its tourist access fee as officials look for ways to manage overcrowding. Visitors, including Canadians, can currently be charged up to €10 (C$16) during certain hours in busy travel months such as June and July.

Budget and taxation councillor Michele Zuin told media that the existing fee is too low and no longer has its intended deterrent effect. Mayor Simone Venturini agreed that the smaller charge has not sufficiently discouraged peak-day visits and said the city wants a form of surge pricing, with the fee increasing as demand rises on the busiest days.

According to local newspaper Il Gazzettino, officials are considering a fee as high as €50 (about C$80) and extending it across a larger part of the year. Local authorities could instead cap the new charge at €30 (about C$48), but the final amount must still be discussed and agreed with the Italian government.

The fee was introduced in 2024, when Venice recorded 5,876,797 tourist arrivals and 13,290,973 overnight stays. Venturini said the city spends €100 million annually on physical maintenance. In 2026, the fee applied from April 3 to July 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and raised more than €5.2 million for upkeep and crowd management.