Venice proposes €50 tourist tax to stop overcrowding

Venice is considering a drastic increase in its tourist entry fee. The city's new conservative mayor, Simone Venturini, is studying a proposal to raise the daily access charge to €50 for peak season day-trippers. Today, the fee is between €5 and €10, with many exceptions. The plan aims to discourage short-term mass tourism. Officials say this type of visitor is expected to keep growing in the coming decades. The proposal has sparked a heated political and social debate. Some support the tax as a solution. Others call it ineffective. Spain is watching closely. Its popular destinations face similar overcrowding problems. Barcelona plans to double its tourist tax to between €10 and €15 per person per night by 2029. The Balearic Islands already charge an "ecotasa" of €1 to €4 per night in high season. Toledo collects €1 to €1.50 per tourist through arriving buses. The Basque Country will introduce a fee from January 1, 2027, ranging from €0.50 to €7 depending on accommodation type. Experts warn that the current tourism model is destroying quality of life in crowded destinations. A recent report from Funcas, a Spanish research foundation, examines how tourist taxes can manage overcrowding. Author Aleix Calveras argues that a well-designed tax improves destination quality. It attracts visitors with higher spending power. It reduces negative impacts on residents. His analysis of the Balearic Islands suggests current taxes are too low. He concludes a substantial increase to between €15 and €20 is necessary to reduce tourist pressure. The main criticism of such taxes is fairness. Some economists note that young people, unable to save for a home, spend on cheap trips as their only accessible luxury. The question is whether higher fees will make travel a privilege only for the wealthy.