Because of the influx of tourists, the island's authorities have doubled the entry tax from €2.50 to €5, which will be in effect from 1 April to 31 October. During the peak season the resort receives up to 16 thousand tourists a day, which exceeds the population of Capri
During the peak season, up to 16,000 tourists a day arrive at the resort, which exceeds the island's population of 12,900. The majority of holidaymakers come for a day, but at the same time the number of those staying overnight is growing, as more and more houses are rented out in Capri.
‘Capri is becoming a hostel for tourists,’ says Teodorico Boniello, head of the local consumer association. ‘More people are arriving than we can accommodate. And families can't put down roots because they can't afford to stay,’ he notes.
Because of the influx of tourists, Capri authorities have doubled the entry tax from €2.50 to €5, it will be in effect from 1 April to 31 October.
‘We are endeavouring to persuade more people to visit us in winter,’ Mayor Marino Lembo told Reuters. However, locals say it will not help ease the housing situation, which has forced many workers, including teachers and medics, to live on the mainland.
‘It would be wonderful to live in Capri, but it's very difficult. Even if I could find a place to live, the rent would eat up all my salary,’ said Antonio De Chiara, who recently took a job as a paediatric therapist on the island. According to secondary school maths teacher Stefano Busiello, who lives in Naples and has had to take the ferry back and forth for 20 years, only 20% of his colleagues live in Capri, while the rest, like him, come from the mainland. As a result, most colleagues stay in school for no more than two or three years, after which they apply to transfer to schools on the mainland, Busiello said.
Bed and breakfast owner Roberto Faravelli said he, like others, is willing to rent out accommodation to workers, but to do so, authorities must ‘incentivise landlords to offer long-term leases’. The Airbnb platform for short-term private rentals alone has more than 500 listings in Capri, up from around 110 in 2016, the agency notes.
‘I don't agree with the nostalgic sentiments of people who say Capri was more beautiful 100 years ago. Back then there was suffering and poverty. Now there is wealth thanks to tourism,’ the mayor emphasised.
Italy was the fifth most visited country in the world in 2023, notes Reuters.
Venice from 25 April introduced a fee for tourists coming to the city for one day. Entry to the city from 8:30 to 16:00 will cost holidaymakers €5. The fee is planned to be charged for 29 days, from 25 April (St Mark's Day) to 14 July, including most weekends.
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