Venice has just the ticket to tackle overcrowding issues

St Mark's Square is one of Venice's most popular and overcrowded attractions. Photo / Supplied

Venice is considering the introduction of a ticketing system for tourists to enter St Mark's Square, one of the city's most popular and overcrowded attractions.

The grand piazza, famously described by Napoleon as "the drawing room of Europe", attracts around 25 million visitors a year.

During the summer months it becomes so congested that appreciating the exquisite palazzos that surround it becomes almost impossible.

Making tourists pay to enter the square would help keep the crowds under control.

"It is a possibility that exists, although not immediately," Paola Mar, Venice council's head of tourism, said.

"St Mark's is a historic area. We have evaluated the limited closure of the area, with an eventual ticket. From a technical and legal point of view, it is possible."

While the ticketing system remains a proposal for now, the city wants to start counting the number of tourists at popular sights, in the hope of managing the flow of visitors better and diverting people to less popular areas.

Officials want to install electronic counters at bottlenecks such as the bridges that span the Grand Canal.

Tourists will be encouraged to venture off the well-worn trail that leads from Venice's railway station to the Rialto Bridge and from there to St Mark's Square.

By venturing from what has become a tourist rat run, visitors can find themselves in relatively deserted alleyways and piazzas.

"This is a long-awaited initiative, with which the council will take concrete steps to manage the flow of tourists," said mayor Luigi Brugnaro.