Rome says no to tourist tax, plans short-term rental curbs to tackle overtourism

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri has ruled out an entry fee for visitors to the Italian capital. He said curbs on short-term rentals and stronger protections for residential housing would be more effective in preserving the city's historic centre, according to a report by Bloomberg News.

“It would make no sense to introduce here an entry ticket to the city, like they did in Venice,” Gualtieri said.

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The mayor said Rome should remain open to tourists while ensuring that its historic neighbourhoods retain their residential character and visitors can access genuine local shops and restaurants.

The city is working on regulations to restrict short-term rentals, though further rules governing such properties are yet to be adopted. Gualtieri said the city needed the necessary powers to intervene in existing properties.

“We cannot intervene on existing properties unless we are granted the power to do so,” he told Bloomberg News, adding that Rome was developing tools to impose restrictions on different types of properties.

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Gualtieri said an entry fee, similar to the one trialled in Venice this summer, would not be appropriate for Rome. Venice charged day-trippers €5 to access its historic centre during the trial. According to the mayor, the system is better suited to Venice because of its smaller size and the large number of visitors who do not stay overnight and therefore do not pay accommodation taxes.

Florence and Bologna have also introduced restrictions on short-term rentals, including rules limiting the conversion of certain non-residential properties in their historic centres.

A September survey by real estate company Brixa found that Rome's city centre had more than 122,000 beds available for overnight stays, compared with a resident population of more than 116,000. The trend of short-term rentals is also spreading from the historic centre to residential neighbourhoods on the city's outskirts, the survey found.

Rome sees record tourist arrivals

Rome recorded a record 22.9 million tourist arrivals in 2025, including 12 million international visitors, according to data supplied by the city. Overnight stays also hit an all-time high of 52.92 million.

Gualtieri, a former finance minister who was elected mayor in 2021, has also prioritised waste management and urban regeneration. A waste-to-energy plant, which faced years of opposition, is moving ahead and is expected to become operational by the end of 2029, he said in the Bloomberg interview.

The city has also used funding linked to the Catholic Jubilee and the European Union's recovery programme to support urban regeneration projects.

Gualtieri said Rome should focus on attracting visitors interested in cultural events and authentic local experiences, rather than what he described as “hit-and-run tourism”, in which visitors consume services without giving much back to the city.

His current term ends in 2027. Although he has been tipped as a possible candidate for a centre-left alliance in Italy's next general election, Gualtieri said he intended to seek a second term as mayor, citing long-term projects he wanted to oversee.