It'll Soon Cost You To Visit Italy's Venice

Venice council has voted to impose an entrance fee on day-trippers to help pay for the upkeep of the much-visited lagoon city, setting a precedent that other tourist hotspots are watching closely, the city's mayor has said.

Around 25 million tourists pour into the iconic Italian city each year, of whom around 14 million spend just one day there. Many take picnics with them, bringing no income to local businesses.

Councillors overwhelmingly endorsed the entrance fee at a meeting on Tuesday evening, saying day-trippers would now have to pay 3 euros ($A4.8) each this year to enter Venice, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The sum will rise to between 6-10 euros from the start of 2020, depending on whether tourists come in high or low season.

"This is unique in the world, the first time that anyone has dared to do anything this important to help manage a city," said Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who has championed the scheme.

"Other cities across Europe have already called us to ask for information about what we are doing. We are acting as a trailblazer," he added.

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