There's a chance your summer trip might have extra fees you weren't aware of. Some popular European destinations are rolling out new taxes and restrictions to curb the flood of tourists overwhelming its most iconic locations, such as the €5 entry fee to Venice and the cruise surcharges on Greek islands.
Tourism policies across Europe’s top destinations, including Barcelona and Santorini, are becoming stricter for 2025. The growing number of visitors, combined with infrastructure overload and local residents' protests, has led numerous cities to establish new taxes, entry fees, and restrictions that fight excessive tourism.
Venice
Venice draws 30 million visitors every year, of which 24 million don't stay for the night. Last year, it made headlines with a pilot program charging a €5 fee to day-trippers entering the city on 29 high-traffic days. It was the first time a major European city attempted to charge tourists just to enter. UNESCO even warned that it might add Venice to its list of endangered World Heritage Sites due to the devastation the city faces.
In 2025, day trippers visiting Venice between April 18 to July 27 and on some weekends, over 14 years of age have to pay the fee of €5 within four days of their trip to Venice. Otherwise, for those who pay the fee less than three days before visiting, that cost doubles to €10. Tourists staying overnight are exempt as they already pay a tourist tax per night at the hotel and are given a QR code to show when wandering around the city.
Venice is not the only place in Italy struggling with overtourism. The archaeological site of Pompeii received more than four million visitors in 2024 and will implement a daily visitor limit of 20,000 people starting in 2025. The Colosseum in Rome has established a maximum restriction of 3,000 people at any time.
Other cities, such as Rome, Milan, and Florence, charge tourist taxes between €1 and €7 depending on the type of accommodation.
Barcelona
Barcelona is Spain’s most visited city, with 32 million visitors a year, a massive number compared to its 1.6 million residents. Many of the visitors come on cruise ships or for a weekend break.
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Since 2012, Barcelona has charged visitors a two-part tourist tax on accommodations: a regional Catalonia tourist tax that depends on the type of accommodation you stay in and an extra Barcelona city surcharge. The Barcelona tourist tax has climbed from €2.75 in 2023 to €3.25 in April 2024 and now to €4 as of October 2024.
In 2025, a visitor in a Barcelona hotel pays the Catalan tax (around €2 -3 depending on accommodation type) and the city surcharge (now up to €4). These fees are paid per person per night to anyone staying in official tourist lodgings (hotels, apartments, campgrounds, etc.). The city has also implemented restrictions on large tour groups and noise in the historic center and is fighting the growing problem of unlicensed vacation rentals.
Outside of Barecelo, Spain also implements a tax on the Balearic islands (Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca, Formentera), charging between €1 and €4 per night. Called the Sustainable Tourism Tax, the fee funds environmental conservation and promotes responsible tourism in the islands. Gran Canaria, another tropical island in Europe, is also applying a tourist tax in 2025 €0.15 per person per night.
Greece
Greece has introduced new taxes and increased existing ones for everyone coming to this popular company, according to Euro News. Visitors must now pay an €8 daily tax when visiting and staying in Greece.
The Climate Resilience Tax varies between €1.50 and €10, according to the type of accommodation. During off-season months from November to March, visitors must pay reduced rates, which include €2 for the tourist tax and €0.50-€4 for the environmental tax.
The new cruise passenger fees for visiting the most popular Greek islands, Santorini or Mykonos, amount to €20, while other destinations require a €5 fee.
The Acropolis in Athens has a daily visitor limit of 20,000 a day, according to their website, and people need to pre-book their time slots for entry. Other tourist restrictions include a proposed legislation to ban basements from being used as tourist rentals and a one-year ban on new short-term rental licenses in the most touristic neighborhoods of Athens, such as Kolonaki and Koukaki.
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