Announcing the plan on Tuesday (5 September), Venice city council officials said the fee would be applied on a trial basis on 30 days – focusing mainly on spring bank holidays and summer weekends during peak visitor periods.

All visitors aged over 14 will need to pay, with the council’s member for tourism, Simone Venturini, telling Reuters it was not a money-making scheme, insisting the fee would only cover the cost of running the trial scheme.

He said the aim was about finding “a new balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice and those who visit the city”.

“Charging an entry fee to get into a city is a world first, so it was normal we needed some fine-tuning, and we may improve things as we go on,” he added.

The exact dates of the plan, which was first outlined in 2019, and how it will run will be agreed after final council approval next week.

Last month Unesco warned Venice should be added to a list of World Heritage Sites at risk of "irreversible" damage from "overwhelming" tourism. 

The fee will only be paid by those visiting for the day – not hotel or Airbnb guests.