Rome proposes another tourist tax hike

(ANSA) - Rome, January 15 - The Italian Hotel Association said on Thursday that it was "concerned" by the City of Rome's decision to increase the daily per person tourist tax.
    On December 30, the City of Rome announced a proposal to increase the tourist tax at five star hotels 10 euros, after a September 2014 increase to 7 euros.
    "The December 30 resolution leaves of really us concerned", Hotel Association president Giorgio Palmucci, president said, adding that the city council "takes no account of the dynamics of the tourist market that could be an important key to development and jobs for the city. " Palmucci questioned what possible services would be provided to tourist that justified a tax increase and pointed out that cities such as London and Madrid do not apply a tourist tax, or if they do, in the case of Paris, it is marginal. "There is no doubt that such a chose will not have negative impact on businesses but also on the image of the city", Palmucci added.