Officials in Venice have announced plans to make tourists pay for basic city services such as rubbish collecting and traffic policing, it has been revealed.
The Times has reported that city mayor Massimo Cacciari aims to combat rising costs associated with tourists by instigating a number of charges.
Cruise passengers will have to pay an extra 70p for their journeys by the beginning of 2008, though advocates of the new tax insist that higher charges are required if the measures are to be effective.
"Every year 20 million visitors come to Venice and they're a burden on the city. Just collecting the rubbish during the carnival costs us an extra £180,000," said the mayor, according to the Times.
However, the city's port authority, which will be responsible for collecting the money, has criticised the plans, saying that enough money is brought in via tourists boosting the local economy.
The city is also to employ stewards in St Mark's Square this summer in a bid to monitor tourist behaviour.
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