An Italian tourist named Simona Pera was charged an additional 7 euros for background music at Caffé Florian in Venice's St Mark's Square. Her total bill included 31 euros for two croissants and 34 euros for two Aperol Spritzes, plus the extra fee for music. The article highlights how Venice, a popular tourist destination with up to 20-30 million visitors annually, implements various measures including a 'tourist tax' to manage overtourism, and discusses similar fees in other global hotspots like Amsterdam and Edinburgh.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Simona Pera, an Italian tourist from Tuscany, was surprised when her bill at Caffé Florian in St Mark's Square, Venice, included a 7 euro surcharge for background music. The total bill amounted to 72 euros, with charges of 31 euros for two croissants and 34 euros for two Aperol Spritzes plus the additional fee. Pera shared her receipt on Facebook, highlighting the "music supplement." She told Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera that there was a small orchestra playing live music to enhance customer experience. While she found it humorous, the surcharge reflects Venice's high tourist prices and its struggle with managing large visitor numbers.
Written for “Venice Tourism Fees” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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An Italian tourist who dined at a café in Venice's famous St Mark's Square was forced to pay extra for background ambient music.
Simona Pera, who was visiting the famous 'floating city' from Tuscany,
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who → see → Tuscany
was surprised when her bill at Caffé Florian included a secret fee of 7 Euros, or £6, bringing her total to 72 Euros.
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bill → surprise → Euros
Sharing a picture of her receipt on Facebook, she wrote: 'It's the music supplement,' alongside a laughing emoji.
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It → share → emoji
The receipt showed how Pera was charged 31 Euros for two croissants, 34 Euros for two Aperol Spritzes and an additional 7 Euros for the 'music supplement.'
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Pera → show → supplement
Pera told Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera: 'There was a small orchestra of three musicians playing...enlivening the conversation of the customers in the café with their music.'
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Pera → tell → music
'We knew that sitting at the tables of this renowned café, right in Piazza San Marco, would be expensive... but when I read that statement on the receipt, I confess I had to laugh,' she added.
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she → know → receipt
It is not uncommon for restaurants and cafés in Venice, an extremely popular tourist destination, to add hidden fees to their customers' bills.
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restaurants → add → bills
In addition, the Italian city charges holidaymakers a 'tourist tax', which visitors have to pay their hotels per night - a move authorities say is used to control mass tourism.
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authorities → charge → tourism
Venice welcomes between 20 and 30 million tourists annually, with about 21 million being day-trippers.
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million → welcome → tourists
Tourist Simona Pera shared a picture of her receipt on Facebook (pictured)
Pera was charged an additional 7 Euros for background music while visiting Caffé Florian in St Mark's Square (file image of the eatery)
Surging visitor numbers have brought the historic centre's delicate infrastructure to the brink, with local frustration reaching a breaking point.
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frustration → share → point
To manage overtourism, the iconic lagoon city launched a 5 Euro daily fee for day-trippers in April 2024, targetting the most crowded days.
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city → manage → days
In 2025, the tax remained in place, but entry fees rose to €10, or £8.68, for those who failed to make reservations up to four days in advance, while the enforcement period expanded to 54 days.
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period → remain → days
However, Venice is just one of the many global hotspots that have introduced a levy to help manage the high numbers of visitors and bring extra revenue into the area.
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that → introduce → area
The amount can vary, from a few euros a night extra in Rome to a percentage of the room rate in Amsterdam.
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amount → vary → Amsterdam
Manchester introduced a City Visitor Charge back in 2023, and Edinburgh is set to bring something similar in from July.
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Edinburgh → introduce → July
Tourists heading to check out the vibrant nightlife, colourful architecture and culture of Amsterdam are expected to pay 12.5 per cent extra on top of the cost of their hotel room.
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Tourists → head → room
Called 'Toeristenbelasting', it's one of the highest visitor fees in Europe, and was increased from seven per cent, plus €3 (£2.60) per person, in 2024.
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it → call → 2024
In Spain, travellers aged over 16 are expected to pay a varying local rate plus 10 per cent VAT when visiting spots including Mallorca, Menorca, Formentera and Ibiza.
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travellers → age → Mallorca
The rates decrease during off-season months, typically between November and April.
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rates → decrease → November
The Aporia
