Iconic tourist destination slugging visitors with a “tourist tax”
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The popular tourist destination of Venice has announced that they are going to start charging day-trippers a new tax from July 1</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">st</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, 2020.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The day-trip tax for tourists was announced about a year ago, but the implementation of the tax has been delayed as authorities argued about how it would be enforced.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, city officials have announced that while they’ll confirm the exact fee closer to the date, they will be charging between 3 and 10 euros ($AUD 4.90 to $16.30) a day for day-trip visitors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Overnight tourists or visitors will be exempt as they already pay tax as a part of their accommodation fees.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are also exemptions to be expected for those visiting Venice to work, study or visit family. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Venice is a canal city that’s been popular amongst tourists, the floating city is struggling under the weight of overtourism.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With more than 20 million people visiting the destination each year, this is a far cry of their estimated permanent population of 260,000.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Locals have even begun to protest the amount of tourists who come and visit Venice.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Venice local named Tommaso, who attended a </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/ships-out-of-the-lagoon-locals-march-against-cruise-ships-in-venice/news-story/5d646acacc7f5110c95da8fa069e3f2d"><span style="font-weight: 400;">protest at St Mark’s Square in June</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, said Venice’s lagoon has “never been so full”, leaving the city and locals at the “mercy of mass tourism”.</span></p>
