- Bologna hoteliers welcomed a pause in plans to raise the tourist tax to €10 per night
- The current tourist tax ranged from €4.00 to €7.00 per person per night in 2026
- The tax was capped at the first five consecutive nights
- Local operators warned that a €10 cap risked deterring visitors and harming competitiveness
- The debate mirrored a broader nationwide discussion on tourist fees in Italy
In Bologna, hoteliers have welcomed a pause in plans to raise the tourist tax to €10. Federalberghi Bologna has urged renewed dialogue with the city on promotion funding and incentives for events, noting that current resources no longer match growing visitor numbers. Hoteliers and extra-hotel accommodation operators in Bologna have strongly resisted local proposals to raise the city’s tourist tax cap beyond the current maximum of €7.00 per person per night.
For 2026, Bologna’s tourist tax ranged from €4.00 to €7.00 per person per night depending on the nightly room rate, and was capped at the first five consecutive nights. Association representatives and property managers argued that comparing Bologna’s tourism appeal and visitor volume to major art hubs like Florence was unfair. Local operators warned that increasing taxes toward a €10 limit risked deterring visitors and harming the competitiveness of the local hospitality sector. Bologna hoteliers and hospitality networks strongly pushed back against proposals to raise the city’s tourist tax to a maximum of €10 per night. Local hospitality leaders, including representatives from the Local Pal network, voiced concerns over Mayor Matteo Lepore’s plan to exceed the current €7.00 cap. They warned that such a sharp increase risked driving visitors away and damaging Bologna’s competitiveness compared to premier Italian destinations like Florence.
The current municipal tax was calculated on a tiered system based on the per-person nightly room rate (excluding VAT). A room rate of €1.00 to €30.99 incurred €4.00 tax per night. A room rate of €31.00 to €70.99 incurred €5.80 tax per night. A room rate of €71.00 to €120.99 incurred €6.50 tax per night. A room rate of €121.00 and above incurred €7.00 tax per night, the maximum cap. Campsites and hostels incurred a flat rate of €2.80 per night. The ongoing friction in Bologna mirrored a broader nationwide debate, as the Italian government floated draft decrees to allow major hubs to scale up tourist fees to manage overtourism and bolster municipal funds.
