Rome Mayor Rejects Tourist Entry Fee to Protect City Center
Mayor Roberto Gualtieri rejected a Venice-style tourist entry fee, opting instead to restrict short-term rentals to preserve Rome's historic residential housing.
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri rejected the implementation of a tourist entry fee similar to the system trialed in Venice, stating that such a model is unsuitable for the size and scale of the city. He argued that "tourists will always come to Rome" and that an entry ticket "would make no sense" for the capital.
To manage the impact of record tourism—which reached 22.9 million arrivals and 52.92 million overnight stays in 2025—Gualtieri is focusing on preserving the character of the 3,000-year-old historic center. His strategy involves restricting short-term rentals and protecting residential housing to prevent the area from being "hollowed out."
Beyond tourism, the mayor confirmed that a waste-to-energy plant is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2029. Gualtieri announced his intention to seek a second mandate in the 2027 elections to oversee these long-term urban development projects.
