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Louise Thomas

Editor

Italy has proposed increasing its tourist tax to €25 a night for holidaymakers staying in its most expensive hotel rooms.

The Italian government is considering the €25 (£21) tax – currently between €1 and €5 per night in cities such as Venice – to make tourists “more responsible” and help financially disadvantaged areas fund services like refuse collections.

With almost 60 million international visitors in 2023, some of Italy’s holiday hotspots are plagued with congestion from cruise day trippers and overnight visitors during peak season.

The new fee would be paid on top of existing tourist taxes in Italy’s major cities, including Florence and Rome, in the ongoing battle against overtourism.

If the plans are approved, different tiers will assign the tax to room categories based on the rates charged by hotels.

Top-end rooms priced at over €750 a night will face €25 in fees, whereas the cheapest accommodation (under €100) could be charged just €5, according to The Financial Times.

A €10 tax for rooms costing between €100 and €400, and €15 tax for rates between €400 and €750 are also predicted as part of the charge.

Italian tourism minister Daniela Santanche shared on Friday: “In times of over-tourism, we are debating this so that it really helps improve services and make tourists who pay it more responsible.”

Last month, Maria Carmela Colaiacovo, president of the Italian hotel association Confindustria Alberghi, said: “The sector is making an important contribution to the country’s economy, especially with the growth of international travellers, after the difficult years of Covid.

“But foreign competition is strong and fierce and we need careful policies that do not compromise the competitiveness of our businesses and our destinations. We cannot be a mere ATM for municipalities.”

Barbara Casillo, director of Confindustria Alberghi, warned the government to “be very careful” that the increased tax does not backfire if high taxes in Italy “scare” prospective travellers to the region.

A number of measures to combat traffic and soaring house prices for residents have been introduced to European holiday hotspots this year.

In April, Venice became the first city in the world to charge admission for daytrippers.

The €5 (£4.26) charge to enter the historic centre of Venice started a 29-day trial to control visitor numbers on busy days until mid-July.

In May, opposition councillor Giovanni Andrea Martini called the access fee a “grand bluff, artfully created to generate media buzz, which does not solve the problem of overtourism in Venice,” adding that the fee was “introduced solely to generate revenue”.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast

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