Officials said the levy, targeted at day-trippers excluded from an existing tax on tourists staying overnight, will now be delayed until January 1, 2022.
“In light of the current situation, linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to make a big gesture to help encourage the return of tourists,” Michele Zuin, the city councillor for budget issues, said in a statement.
Venice’s narrow streets and famous waterways are usually packed with tourists, and the new tax was intended to help cover the costs of keeping the city clean and safe after years of problems caused by overtourism.
Unlike the existing levy for stays in hotels or rented accommodation, it would apply to day-trippers, including those who arrive on huge cruise ships.
But tourism first dwindled in Venice following record flooding last November, and then stopped entirely for several months this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit Italy particularly hard.
Ongoing restrictions in Italy and around the world continue to paralyise the tourism industry.
