Venice Planning Tourist Tax

by Fran Golden Posted Oct 18th 2010 10:09 AM


Venice already has advertising plastered on sights including the Bridge of Sighs, in a controversial attempt to pay for restorations. And now the Italian government is considering a tax on tourists arriving by plane, train and ship. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;}

With its crumbling canal-side palaces, churches and monuments, Venice gets some 20 million tourists a year, but the visitors don't provide enough revenue for repairs, officials say.

The Italian government has a draft plan that would allow Venetian authorities to charge a tariff. No amount has been set – but a previous proposal suggested one euro (about $1.39) for arriving cruise passengers.

Proponents of the plan include Italy's minister for public administration and innovation, himself a Venetian. The city's mayor is also backing the concept.

But some have argued in the past that such a tariff would make Venice seem like a theme park.

The tariff would apply to those flying into Marco Polo airport, arriving by train or disembarking from cruise ships – Venice has become an increasingly popular cruise port.