Oh no! This could make a holiday to Italy considerably more expensive soon
Alarm bells! It could well be that a higher bill is waiting for you at the end of your stay in Il Bel Paese before long. Italy is considering a substantial increase in the tourist tax, as colleague Sophie from Italiamo knows. The goal? To fill the coffers of cities that are short of cash and encourage tourists to travel more responsibly in times of mass tourism. What exactly does this mean for your next trip to the boot?
Higher tourist tax
The idea is to increase the tourist tax you pay when staying in a hotel. For the most expensive hotel rooms, the tax could rise to as much as €25 per night. The proposal comes in response to growing public frustration about overtourism, which sometimes creates more problems than benefits for the overcrowded holiday country.
According to the Italian government, the tax increase should boost revenue and ease the pressure on local infrastructure. In other words, more money for things like clean streets, well-maintained tourist attractions and – if we are to believe the policymakers – a better holiday experience for everyone.
Angry hoteliers
Not everyone is enthusiastic about these plans, because tourists themselves are not the only ones potentially affected. ‘The common goal should be to support growth, not slow it down,’ says Federalberghi, an association representing smaller hotels, in a statement. Barbara Casillo, director of Confindustria Alberghi (an organisation for larger hotels and international chains), warns that Italy is already facing substantial competition from other European holiday destinations. ‘If we scare travellers away by showing that all we want is their money, we are not doing the country any favours,’ she says in an interview.
Marina Lalli of Federturismo, an organisation representing various tourism businesses, complains that some cities are already using the tourist tax “illegally” to plug holes in their budgets. According to her, the proceeds are sometimes spent on things such as repairing potholes – normal municipal tasks, not something tourists should have to pay for.
Will it really happen?
Well, fortunately, we will have to wait and see. In September, the Ministry of Tourism will consult with stakeholders in the tourism sector. A ‘possible change to the rules’ is on the agenda, but it is still unclear whether and how exactly this will take shape. And everything the Italian way, you know. It could easily take quite a while.
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Source: Financial Times, Italiamo
