Tourist hotspots around Europe are struggling with surging visitor numbers, with overtourism taking its toll on cities and the people who live in them.
Venice introduced a €5 tourist tax for day-trippers in April, and cities and towns in Spain, France, the Netherlands and Austria have all had similar issues with tourists having a negative impact on locals.
Imposing extra taxes on tourists is not allowed in Sweden, but the regional mayor of Gotland, Meit Fohlin, wants to change that, reports public radio broadcaster SR Ekot.
The island, whose economy relies on tourism, is a beautiful and popular summer holiday destination, with the largest wave of tourists arriving straight after the Almedalen political week at the end of June.
Many mainlanders own a second home and stay there for months, using the island's resources – healthcare, water, at-home care – while their tax money ends up in their home municipalities.
"It's important that tourism continues to be an important industry, and local industries then need contributions," said Fohlin.
She said it should be possible to "pay tax for those months that goes to Gotland or where you own a summer house. Other places do that and it would be a fairly straightforward solution".
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