Beautiful Italian holiday destination Lake Como considers new tourist tax in blow for holidaymakers
The mayor of Lake Como is considering a tax
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A beautiful spot in Italy is the latest holiday destination to consider introducing a tax for all visitors.
Lake Como could follow in the footsteps of Italian hotspot Venice, which recently brought in charges.
Lake Como is the third largest lake in Italy and offers breathtaking views and landscapes.
The scenic spot attracts 1.4 million visitors a year, making it one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations.
Lake Como is a popular tourist destination
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However, with an influx of visitors comes problems such as overcrowding and popular areas needing more maintenance.
This has caused the mayor of Como Alessandro Rapinese to consider introducing a tax to cover the effects of overtourism as he said 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.
Lake Como has always been a popular place to visit among tourists and celebrities alike, and George Clooney famously purchased a villa for €10million (£8.5million) around 20 years ago.
This comes as Venice rolled out a daily fee for all tourists and day visitors over the age of 14 after struggling with an influx of tourists.
The tax will cost €5 (around £4.28) per day and follows other changes it has made to cut back on overtourism, such as a ban on cruise ships.
This week, the Algarve municipality of Portimão in Portugal launched a tourist tax of €2 (£1.70) per person per night if visiting between April and September, and a fee of €1 (85p) between October and March.
This applies to everyone over the age of 13 and could add around £50 to the cost of a one-week stay for a family of four.
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Tourists face extra charges in many holiday destinations
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GB News readers shared their outrage. One penned: "Spain first now Portugal. Us Brits have helped build these countries up with tourism. It's such a shame.
"I was going to go to Portugal but if I'm not wanted, I guess I go where I am wanted. I get they don't want the kind that can't take their drink, but don't put us all under the same banner."
Another said they would not go there because of the fee. They said: "Well looks like I won't be visiting Portugal since they don't want tourists."