To the dismay of those rich enough to enjoy the crystal clear waters and luxury villas of Sardinia – known as “the playground of the rich” – the regional government yesterday imposed a package of taxes on second homes, private yachts, aircraft and even hotel rooms.

Renato Soru, the centre-left President of Sardinia, has fought a year-long battle to pass the “luxury taxes” in the face of opposition not only from the rich and famous but also from businesses, which fear that they will drive visitors elsewhere in the Mediterranean.

The taxes, most of which apply from this summer, are aimed at raising cash and preserving Sardinia’s natural beauty by limiting tourist numbers and second-home ownership. Mr Soru is hoping to raise more than £500 million.

The “luxury tax” is mainly aimed at the super rich who tend to stay on the opulent Costa Smeralda, a prohibitively priced 10km stretch between the gulfs of Cugnana and Arzachena, developed with the backing of the Aga Khan.

However, the hotel tax, which also applies to bed and breakfasts, will hit tourists who stay at more modestly priced resorts on the other side of the island, which while not strictly part of the Costa Smeralda are on the same sparkling coastline.

Among the hardest hit will be non-resident owners of seaside homes. A sliding scale will apply to houses within 3km of the shore, from €9 (£6) per square metre for houses up to 60 sq m (645 sq ft), rising to €16 per square metre for dwellings of 200 sq m or more, with a 20 per cent additional penalty for those who own homes less than 300 metres from the sea. Nonresidents who sell homes they have owned in Sardinia for more than five years face a 20 per cent tax on the sale.

A sliding scale also applies to yachts and boats, from an annual port fee of €1,000 for those up to 16 metres in length. Yachts up to 30 metres will pay an annual port fee of €5,000, rising to €10,000 for yachts up to 60 metres and €15,000 for those over 60 metres – even if the yacht only stays for 24-hours. Four-seater private aircraft will pay €150 for each landing, those with 12 passengers €400 and aircraft with more than 12 seats €1,000.

From next year tourists staying at hotels between June and September will pay a tax of €1 per person, per day in a three-star establishment and €2 a day in those with 4 or 5 stars.

“All we are asking for is a modest contribution by those who enjoy Sardinia’s natural beauty,” Mr Soru said. The centre-right opposition said that the taxes would “create no benefits, they will only give Sardinia a negative image”.

Fiona Swarovksi, heiress to the crystal empire, whose family has had a villa at Porto Rotondo since the 1960s, said that the taxes were ridiculous. “Sardinia will become more and more the island of rich Arabs and Russians. The island is expensive enough as it is.”

Celebrities who have homes on Sardinia or visit it regularly include Roman Abramovich, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio and Madonna. Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s former Prime Minister, owns seven villas, including the 27-bedroom Villa La Certosa outside Porto Rotondo.

Last year Flavio Briatore, the Formula One team manager, launched a campaign against the taxes with a party at The Billionaire, his nightclub on the island. Mr Briatore said that the taxes would boost “development and wealth in France, Greece, Spain, Croatia, but certainly not in Sardinia”.

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