As if international travel from Canada wasn't pricy enough, visiting a popular city in Italy has just become more expensive. Visitors from Canada staying in Milan, the fashion capital of Italy, are now paying more after the city approved a tax increase that kicked in on Jan. 1. What is the tourist tax? "Revenues from the Tourist Tax will finance actions for the preservation of the city’s artistic heritage and for the improvement of services for all tourists," the Milan City Council stated. On Jan. 1, Hawaii also applied a modest 0.75 per cent tax increase on hotels or short-term rentals.