Italy comes up with another way to profit from tourists

Tengrinews.kz – Starting in 2026, dog owners vacationing in South Tyrol may face a new fee. In Bolzano, a proposal has been made to charge tourists €1.50 per day per pet for bringing their dogs.

According to Il Sole 24 Ore, Italy had a similar fee until 2016, but it was later abolished. Bolzano had previously tried to address the issue differently — a few years ago, the city introduced a mandatory DNA test for all resident dogs. The idea was to use DNA traces left in public areas to identify owners who fail to clean up after their pets.

The project generated widespread attention, even making international headlines, but proved difficult to implement. In the end, fewer than half of the 30,000 registered dogs were tested.

Alongside the tourist fee, authorities are also discussing an annual fee for local residents — €100 per dog. Dog owners who have already completed the DNA test will be exempt from the new fee for two years.

The tourist tax on dogs traveling with their owners would be a first for Italy. A similar practice exists in Germany, particularly in some Baltic Sea resort towns. In South Tyrol, it will remain mandatory to clean up after pets, and failure to do so may result in fines ranging from €200 to €600.

The law is still in draft form and must be reviewed by the provincial parliament. If approved, the new rules will come into effect in January 2026.