HOLIDAYMAKERS who sail into Venice aboard cruise ships every year, enjoying a grandstand view of St Mark’s Square, face a new tourist tax.

The centre-left mayor, Massimo Cacciari, proposes to make tourists pay for services provided by everyone from street cleaners to traffic police now that the city’s resident population has declined from 200,000 after the second world war to only about 60,000.

“Every year 20m visitors come to Venice and they’re a burden on the city. Just collecting the rubbish during the carnival costs us an extra £180,000,” Cacciari said.

The mayor has long sought ways of compelling visitors who spend only a day in Venice – often bringing their own meals with them – to contribute to the cost of its upkeep.

Supporters of his plan to impose a levy of €1 – about 70p – on cruise passengers from the end of the year argue it will barely be noticed by holidaymakers already paying a high price for their trip.

“People who come on cruise ships to Venice love to pass by St Mark’s Square. It’s a beautiful sight, and it’s only fair for them to contribute to maintaining its beauty,” said Enzo Bon, a council spokesman.

But the tax is being opposed by the Venice port authority, which will have to collect the money.

“Let’s not forget that the presence of tourists in museums, hotels, restaurants and bars has a positive effect on the economy of the whole area,” said Luca Zaia, deputy president of the Veneto regional government. “Hitting tourists with a levy, however low, is an awful advertisement both nationally and internationally.”

Cacciari is determined to press ahead despite the criticism. “One way or the other, we’re going to raise that money,” he said.

His initiative follows the decision of prime minister Romano Prodi’s government to drop a budget provision that would have allowed popular tourist destinations such as Venice to impose a £3-a-day hotel tax.

Venice had previously lobbied the government to authorise a range of new charges on tourists but the government decided that such taxes would make Italy less competitive in tourism.

Visitors to Italy’s most popular destinations can also look forward to tougher rules governing their behaviour. Councils in Venice, Rome and Florence are drawing up a code of conduct to stamp out boorish behaviour by tourists.

Last week Venice announced that patrols of St Mark’s Square would enforce bans on sitting or lying down and on picnicking. Men are barred from walking around bare-chested, and women from wearing bikini tops.

Times Recommends

• Times Charity Appeal: SolarAid
• Is it Black Monday all over again for Dubai?
• Behind the scenes at the biggest deal