Italy mulling heavier visitors' tax amid over-tourism crisis

Tourists visiting Italy could soon be paying taxes of up to 25 euros ($27.70) a night after the government said it wants to discourage over-tourism while allowing cash-strapped municipalities to raise extra cash.

Many Italian cities already collect taxes of up to a maximum of 5 euros on overnight stays, but the government is considering changing those patchwork taxes into a blanket tax based on the cost of the hotel room the tourist is using, with the most expensive rooms qualifying for the highest level of the new tax.

The proposal calls for local governments to collect the money, which they could then use for local services, such as garbage collection.

Marina Lalli, from Federturismo, an advocacy organization for tourism companies, told the Financial Times newspaper municipalities are currently supposed to spend taxes collected from tourists on products and services that support the tourism industry. But she said many local governments are actually spending the money on everyday services that should be funded by the Italian taxpayer, and that the proposed change would formalize that situation.

"When you go and fix your streets that are full of holes — and you pay with money you collect from tourist tax — is this really for tourists, or is this a normal, ordinary thing that you should do in your city?" she told the paper.

The proposed change to the tourism tax is being championed by Daniela Santanche, Italy's tourism minister, who wrote on the X social media platform that it would be a win-win situation because it would generate income for cash-strapped cities and municipalities while also reducing visitor numbers and taking pressure of overcrowded tourism sites.

"In times of over-tourism, we are debating this so that it really helps improve services and make tourists who pay it more responsible," wrote Santanche.

The proposed tax would start at 5 euros a night for economy rooms priced at 100 euros or less. Regular rooms rented out for between 100 euros and 400 euros a night would elicit a 10 euro a night tax. And high-end rooms billed out for between 400 euros a night and 750 euros would be taxed at the rate of 15 euros a night. Luxury rooms charged at more than 750 euros a night would be taxed at 25 euros a night.

The problem of over-tourism has been widely debated across Europe in recent months, with the Italian city of Venice introducing a 5 euro admission charge for visitors, the English city of Cambridge considering limiting the size and number of tourism groups, and the Spanish city of Barcelona mulling a prohibition on apartments being rented out to non-locals.

The issue has also prompted anti-tourist protests in tourism hotspots across Europe, including in the Netherlands, Greece, and Spain.

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