Italian hotspot considers enforcing daily tourist tax after Venice imposes fee

Another popular holiday destination in Italy is discussing plans to bring in a daily fee for tourists.

Lake Como, nestled in the north of the country, is a well-known resort area that is famous for its stunning surrounding landscape. But Italy's third largest lake seems to be the latest European hotspot to be battling over-tourism and officials are calling for the introduction of a special tax to help curb this.

Como's mayor Alessandro Rapinese said he is considering charging visitors for each day they visit the area, inspired by a similar move undertaken in another Italian destination, Euronews Travel reports. Announced last year, tourists who visit Venice will have to pay an extra five euro (£4.31) to enter the city's historic district from the end of April, following a trial run in January.

Mr Rapinese has condemned Como's overwhelming amount of visitors and said that it is "difficult to be mayor when you are fighting tourism".

“We are already discussing the idea [of a tourist tax]. Revolutions begin with concrete measures and we are ready for this long journey," he told The Times. He did not specify the exact amount that would be charged or who it would apply to.

If Como were to adopt the Venice model, the charge would apply to day trippers only and not those staying overnight. It would also likely be enforced on long weekends and public holidays.

Lake Como sees up to 1.4 million visitors descend on its shores annually. Not only is it famous for its beauty, it has become popular thanks to movies such as James Bond: Casino Royal, while stars including George Clooney own property across its shoreline.

But similar to Venice, it has become a victim of what is known as "hit and run" tourism, which sees people arrive in crowded droves for a short period of time.

"I don't know what happened after COVID, but we no longer have enough square metres for all the tourists that arrive on a Sunday," Severino Beri, president of the hotel association in the lakeside city of Lecco, told local press.

"Daytrippers bring little in terms of income. In fact, all they bring is mountains of rubbish and disruption." He also highlighted concerns that this problem may put off tourists who stay in hotels - and spend considerably more money - from visiting.

Other European destinations have been calling for a reduction in visitor numbers. This past weekend, over 12,000 Tenerife locals took to the streets in an anti-tourism protest. However, the island's officials have pleaded with UK holidaymakers to continue visiting.

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