Presto all Italian municipalities will apply the tourist tax to tourists who stay overnight on their territory. Currently, the tax is limited to provincial capitals, unions of municipalities, tourist locations, cities of art and municipalities on smaller islands. The reform, under discussion between the government and the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI), could come into force in 2025 and allow over 7.000 municipalities to introduce the tax on a voluntary basis, with a potential increase in revenue, which currently amounts to approximately 700 million euros per year.
The review includes: transform the tax into a purpose tax, with funds earmarked for the tourism sector, urban decorum and security. In the coming weeks it will be a technical table has been established to examine a Review of price ranges, making them proportional to the cost of the room and applicable per person. The reform also includes the possibility of extending the tax to tourists passing through, without the obligation to stay overnight.
The tourist tax: how it works today
THEtourist tax It is currently applied in approximately 1.200 Italian municipalities, mainly based on the type of accommodation, with rates ranging from 1 to 8 euros per night. The amount is established locally, taking into account factors such as the category of accommodation and the level of tourist influx. Among the municipalities that already adopt this tax It includes important cities of art such as Rome, Venice and Florence, as well as numerous popular tourist locations.
At the moment, the tax can be atapplied only by a small group of municipalities: provincial capitals, cities of art and recognized tourist locations, as well as municipalities located on smaller islands. This restriction has created a disparity in tax adoption, with the main tourist destinations contributing significantly to the revenue, while other areas remain excluded from this source of income.
The agreement between the government and Anci
The agreement between the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, the Deputy Minister of Economy, Maurice Leo, and the president of the Anci, Robert Pella, predicts one tourist tax reformThe goal is to make the itax available to all municipalities, its voluntary basis, and standardize the rules throughout the country. The new system would provide rates proportionate to the cost of the room and payable for each person, with the aim of simplifying the bureaucratic burden for hoteliers and facilitating controls.
“The parties – as stated in a note at the end of the meeting between the parties – have agreed on the need to standardize and simplify the discipline throughout the country and to make it applicable to all municipalities on a voluntary basis. The table will study the price ranges to make the tax proportional to the cost of the room and payable per person”.
A purpose tax
One of the main novelties concerns the destination of the tax proceedsThe intention is to transform it into apurpose tax, with the funds raised earmarked for improving tourism infrastructure, urban decorum and safety, as requested by Anci. This would allow for direct reinvestment in the tourism sector, promoting greater economic and social sustainability for local communities.
“The tourism industry is important for the GDP and also for the municipalities and therefore money must be released into the sector – commented the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè – We must not make residents experience tourism as a threat but as an opportunity. We must not be ideological when we sit down at the table to find solutions. We try to distribute this tax better”.
“We appreciate the decision to expand the audience to all municipalities because it is right give opportunities to all. We share the theme of simplification and finding guarantees to protect hoteliers and Mayors", finally added the president of Anci, Robert Pella.
Consumer associations criticize
Despite the agreement between the government and the municipalities, the proposal to extend the tourist tax It is not without its critics, especially from consumer associations. Maximilian Dona, president of the National Consumers Union (UNC), expressed concern about an indiscriminate application of the tax, without a clear strategy: “No to a generic extension of the tax of stay to all municipalities. According to Dona, an excessive tax could push tourists, especially Italians, "to prefer destinations abroad". Dona also criticized the government's approach, accusing it of wanting to pass the responsibility on to the municipalities.
even the Codacons has expressed itself against the measure, stating that “tourists should not be used as cash machines” to finance municipalities, especially in the absence of transparency on the use of the proceeds. According to the association, the implementation of the tax must be accompanied by guarantees on the actual use of the funds to improve tourism services.
An opportunity for small towns
The extension of the possibility of applying the tourist tax could represent an economic resource for small municipalities, especially those with a growing tourist influx that have so far been unable to exploit this source of revenue. For lesser-known cities, the tax could be a useful tool to invest in tourism infrastructure and attract new visitors, making the sector more sustainable.
Although tax simplification is one of the main objectives of the reform, the challenge remains to ensure a correct administrative management by the municipalities, many of which may not have the resources needed to apply the tax efficiently. The risk, highlighted by trade associations, is that the lack of uniformity could lead to disorganized management and, in some cases, counterproductive for the country's tourist image.
According to Minister Santanchè, however, it is It is essential that the tax is not perceived as a burden for tourists, but as an opportunity to improve the quality of services. The government aims to find a balance between the need to guarantee revenues to municipalities and the need to keep Italy competitive on the international tourism market.
