Outrageous! Rome set to charge tourists over N200,000 to sight-see

From December, each coach load of tourists will be charged €1,000 daily to enter the city centre to see sights such as the Vatican

You may want to pad your wallet seriously before embarking on a trip to Rome as the Italian city has said it is considering raising taxes for visitors during its jubilee year in 2016.

From December, each coach load of tourists will be charged €1,000 (about N222,000) daily to enter the city centre to see sights such as the Vatican. The current rate stands at €200 (about N44,000).

This follows a higher tax on accommodation that tourists already have to pay.

Tour operators and travel agents are currently objecting to this extra costs which tourists will have to pay.

Also, the European Tourism Association (ETOA) has said it is extremely concerned by the proposed increase saying the move is "out of all proportion".

Speaking on the proposed increase, Tom Jenkins, CEO of ETOA described the move as "vicious and irrational, with no regard to practicality or planning."

Thousands of pilgrims are expected to arrive Rome next year as Pope Francis announced the Holy Year of Mercy.

According to Telegraph, residents of Rome could however welcome the move owing to the large number of coaches conveying tourists which the city sees each year which causes a lot of traffic congestion and hardship for residents.

In 2014, 90,000 coaches clogged up the streets, Telegraph reports, while the tourist tax increase could also bring in much-needed cash for economically shaky Italy.