• Starting February 1, 2025, tourists will be charged €2 to access the Trevi Fountain’s basin.
• The new tourist fee aims to manage congestion and raise funds for maintenance.
• Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri supports the fee as it encourages organized visits.
• Residents will continue to enjoy free access to the fountain.

Beginning on February 1, 2025, Rome will introduce a €2 (approximately $2.35) fee for tourists wishing to access the stone steps around the iconic Trevi Fountain during daylight hours. This decision aims to improve tourist management in a highly congested area and generate an estimated annual revenue of €6.5 million (about $7.6 million) for the city's cultural heritage upkeep, according to SCMP, LA Times, and CBS News.

The fee, part of a broader initiative to manage tourist flows and safeguard cultural sites, comes alongside a previously implemented €5 entrance fee to the Pantheon and other ticketing measures. The fee for the Trevi Fountain was announced by Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, who emphasized that "two euros isn’t very much" but will assist in controlling visitor numbers and maintaining the historical site, according to SCMP, LA Times, and CBS News.

Visitors will still have the option to admire the Trevi Fountain's stunning architecture from the surrounding piazza free of charge. The fee is intended to apply during the fountain's busiest hours, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but remains free after dark. This change aims to provide a more organized and pleasant visitor experience, which has become increasingly vital as large crowds frequently disrupt local life and civic harmony, according to SCMP, LA Times, and CBS News.

As part of these efforts, Rome will also implement a broader cultural heritage strategy, which includes establishing fees for several lesser-known attractions within the city, while ensuring that local residents can still enjoy free access to cultural sites. This ongoing reform has parallel developments in cities like Venice, which has enacted a tourist tax to better handle the impacts of overtourism, according to SCMP, LA Times, and CBS News.