It looks as if they have discovered a new way to tax the visitor.  

Venice has just announced that from July 1 onwards "guests" at Venetian hotels will pay a tax of  €1 per person per night per star of hotel category up to a maximum of five nights. So you're staying 5 nts at a 3-star hotel - the tax will come to about CA$21 per person. That's not a lot you say! Remember a typical 3-star hotel in Venice already costs about C$310 a night for two people with breakfast.

Add to this idea the news that Florence plans to do the same thing and you may well say - enough is enough. In the words of the old movie "I am as mad as hell and I won't take this any more" - a great speech by Peter Finch in "Network".

In the low season, from November to February,they expect the tax to be lowered.  The only problem with that - the last time I was in Venice in January St Mark's Square was under water and I'd left my wellies at home!