Day tourists will be charged €3 under the 2019 budget, but that will more than double next year to as much as €10 during high seasons

Around 25 million tourists visit the city each year, of which around 14 million spend just a day there. With many bringing picnics, it is felt local businesses do not reap the benefits of these visitor numbers.

Councillors endorsed the entrance fee at a meeting on Tuesday. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who was leading the proposals, said: “This is a significant turning point in the management of Venice’s tourist flows.”

Venice’s population has rapidly declined in recent decades, from 175,000 after the second world war to about 50,000 today. Residents have complained that the city is being overcrowded with tourists while they have to foot the bill for cleaning and security.

Overnight visitors will not have to pay an entrance fee as a visitor tax is already applied to hotel rates.

The city council has not yet specified how it will collect the money, but Brugnaro has suggested transport companies bringing visitors into the city could add the fee to the cost of tickets.