AN EXPENSIVE POSTCARD FROM ROME

The cost of a hotel night in Rome went up another $8.00 or so on January 1st. As one of the city’s new breed of public servants put it, “In order not to tax Romans we have decided to tax the tourists.” All Rome Hotel guests in four and five star properties will now be assessed a charge for maintaining the city’s churches and palaces. They are in a state of disrepair, largely due to the trampling about by other tourists. But Italy was already one of the highest taxed nations on earth for tourists with a staggering 18% VAT. Now, with a government of economists dedicated to bringing Italy’s spending in line, hotel head taxes on visiting tourists is an idea that many Italians can support.