Venice’s daytripper tax is relaunching this week, and the fee has doubled to €10 for last-minute visitors.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro stressed that the tax aims to help the city and its citizens battle overtourism and avoid huge influxes of visitors during crowded holidays and weekends.

The payment system was launched last year for a time-limited pilot program.

Venice introduced the long-discussed daytripper fee after the city narrowly escaped being placed on the UN’s list of endangered heritage sites, due largely to the impact of overtourism.

Visitors staying overnight in the historic centre are exempt from the charge as they already pay a tourist tax.

How does Venice’s entry fee work?

The new tax will be applied every Friday through Sunday and on holidays from 18 April to 27 July, for a total of 54 days.

That’s almost double the number of days it was in place last year. Tourists who don’t make reservations up to four days in advance will pay €10 instead of the usual €5.

The tax will be in force during peak hours, from 8.30 am to 4 pm.

Anyone found beyond designated control points without the required documentation will be subject to fines.

These will range from €50 to €300, plus the maximum entrance fee allowed by law, set at €10.

Officials have emphasised that the programme aims to reduce crowds on peak days, encourage longer visits and improve the quality of life for residents.

The fee is not required for anyone staying in Venice, including the mainland districts of Marghera and Mestre. Venice’s islands, including glass-making Murano, are also outside the program.

Exemptions are also issued for a variety of reasons, including to access the city for work, school or medical care, as well as to people born in Venice and residents of the Veneto region.

How can I book my ticket for Venice?

Visitors can ‘reserve’ their day in Venice on a dedicated platform.

Daytrippers pay the required fee (€5 or €10) and get a QR code that will then be checked at spot controls at seven access points around the city, including at the main train station.

Visitors with hotel reservations enter their hotel information and also get a QR code to show. They don’t have to pay, however, since their hotel bill will already include a Venice lodging fee.

Why has Venice introduced an entry fee?

Venice has long suffered under the pressure of overtourism, but officials say pre-pandemic estimates ranging from 25 to 30 million visitors a year – including daytrippers – are not reliable and that the pilot project also aimed to come up with more exact figures to help better manage the phenomenon.

By contrast, registered visitors spending the night last year numbered 4.6 million, according to city figures, down 16 per cent from pre-pandemic highs.

The pandemic delayed Venice’s plans to launch the daytripper tax, which has become a keystone of the city’s attempts to deal with overtourism.

UNESCO cited the plan when it decided not to include the city on the list of endangered world heritage sites last September, a tarnish that it similarly avoided two years earlier with the cruise ship ban through St. Mark’s Basin and the Giudecca Canal.

Cruise ships brought 1.6 million people to Venice in 2019.

Activists sounded a warning last summer when the number of tourist beds officially overtook the number of residents, which has dwindled to under 50,000 in a trend dating back decades.

They said the imbalance drains the city of services, clogging its tight alleyways and water buses with suitcase-toting tourists and pushing residents to the mainland with its conveniences.

Was the trial of the entry fee a success?

At the end of the first test phase last July, officials said the tax had netted €2.4 million, accounting for about 1,000 entrances on each of the test days.

Brugnaro responded to critics who have called it a failure and said it did not deter as many arrivals as expected.

“Venice is the first city in the world that tries to manage the problem of overtourism. We obtained important results,” the mayor said.

But some citizens’ groups and opposition councillors claim the access fee completely failed to control overtourism.

“Data offered by the control room show that on average during the period of implementation of the fee, we had about 7,000 more tourist entries than in previous years,” said Giovanni Andrea Martini, an opposition councillor.

“This shows that the access fee is not at all a system able to manage the flows.”

Forget your average happy hour. Fiji wants travellers to trade sundowners for something more meaningful.

The Pacific Island nation’s ‘Loloma Hour’ invites visitors to spend at least one hour of their trip giving back to the environment or local communities.

Whether it’s replanting mangroves, taking part in a beach clean-up or learning to make traditional crafts alongside Fijian villagers, the goal is simple: leave the islands better than you found them.

“True happiness comes not just from what you take, but what you give,” says Srishti Narayan, chief marketing officer at Tourism Fiji.

What is Loloma Hour?

‘Loloma’ is a Fijian word meaning generosity driven by love, and the new programme reflects that spirit.

Rolled out across dozens of eco-minded hotels, resorts and tour operators, Loloma Hour is part of Fiji’s wider strategy to preserve its cultural heritage and natural ecosystems while creating meaningful exchanges between travellers and locals.

The initiative supports activities that align with four key pillars: wildlife conservation, community support, reef protection and coastline care. Guests might join a coral planting session, participate in iguana conservation walks, take part in reef-safe snorkelling or attend a village storytelling event.

The aim is for tourists to contribute at least 5,000 volunteer hours across the country this year.

Tourism with purpose is on the rise

Fiji’s bet on mindful travel taps into a growing trend.

According to a 2023 Booking.com survey, 76 per cent of global travellers say they want to travel more sustainably.

In Europe, the demand is especially high, and operators are answering the call. Five of the 10 most sustainable destinations in 2024 were in Europe, according toLonely Planet, and destinations like the Faroe Islands and Normandyhave been praised for pioneering community-based and regenerative tourism programmes.

From Thailand toGreenland, tourism boards and private operators alike have started rethinking everything frominteractions with wildlife todiving excursions to make them more purposeful.

Among them, Fiji’s Loloma Hour stands out for its cultural framing – rooted in love rather than obligation.

But it also has a deeper meaning. The Pacific Islands are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, pressed with rising sea levels, coral bleaching and extreme weather events. With tourism making up about 40 per cent of Fiji’s GDP, turning tourism into a tool for change isn’t just good policy. It might also be essential for the country’s future.

Where guests can get involved

From five-star hideaways to barefoot eco-resorts, 21 properties across Fiji are currently taking part in Loloma Hour – each offering different activities.

At Six Senses Fiji, guests can swim through coral nurseries with experts, plant native trees or tour the resort’s organic gardens. The Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort offers marine education sessions led by in-house biologists.

On islands like Malolo and Wakaya, guests can document vulnerable manta ray populations while diving or join mangrove replanting sessions and beach clean-ups.

“Loloma Hour gives visitors a chance to help preserve what makes Fiji so special – its people, environment and traditions,” says Narayan.

Torrential rain and thunderstorms have battered the Canary Islands since Storm Olivier made landfall on the Spanish archipelago last Wednesday.

The island of Lanzarote bore the brunt of the intense weather, with flooding affecting several tourist hotspots.

With the Easter break just around the corner, the storm might impact holiday plans.

European governments have updated their travel advice for tourists in the Canary Islands and with upcoming trips. Here’s what you need to know about safety and travel insurance.

Lanzarote hit by intense rain and flooding

Storm Olivier has swept through the Canary Islands, leaving hotels, houses and roads in Lanzarote inundated with water.

As much as 60 litres of rain drenched the island in two hours on Saturday 12 April.

According to the Island Emergency Consortium, the tourist towns of Costa Teguise, San Bartolomé, and Arrecife on the east coast of Lanzarote were the worst affected.

Video footage shows vehicles semi-submerged on flooded roads and streams that have turned into dangerous rapids.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice for visiting the island.

“Heavy rainfall and flooding in Lanzarote occurred earlier today (13 April 2025), with Costa Teguise, San Bartolomé, and Arrecife particularly affected,” the latest guidance reads.

“Services across the island are affected. Some hotels are currently without power. Some roads are currently affected by mud.”

It urges travellers in Lanzarote or with upcoming trips to follow the advice of the local authorities and monitor local weather updates.

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a general travel alert for Spain.

“Spain can at times experience extreme weather conditions, including flooding, which can adversely affect travel plans. You can monitor information and alerts, including severe weather warnings, on the website of the Spanish Meteorological Agency, AEMET,” the update reads.

“Citizens are advised to check the latest weather information before they travel and to follow the advice of the local authorities.”

Is travel to the Canary Islands disrupted?

After some disruption last week, Lanzarote Airport is now operating as normal, with flights running on time.

The Canary Islands government lifted the state of emergency in Lanzarote – declared on Saturday – at 7am on Sunday.

“Following the end of the flooding caused by rain on April 12 in the municipalities of Arrecife, Teguise, and San Bartolomé on the island of Lanzarote, the island emergency situation has ended,” it said in an update.

The other islands in the archipelago, including holiday spots Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, seem to be relatively unscathed.

Cloudy skies and light rain are forecast for the rest of the day.

What are my rights to a refund if I cancel my holiday to Lanzarote?

As foreign governments have not issued ‘no-go’ travel warnings for the Canary Islands, you are not automatically entitled to a refund if you cancel your trip – referred to as ‘disinclination to travel’.

Reimbursement is only likely if your flight is cancelled by the airline or your accommodation is closed due to the flooding.

If you have booked with a travel agent or tour operator, contact the company directly to understand your options.

Some insurance policies include natural disaster cover for an event that prevents travellers from reaching their holiday destination. You should read the terms and conditions carefully and talk to your provider for advice.