Most of the tourists will be paying a nightly hotel tax (which could be adjusted).

I'm completely fine subsidizing tourists' use of the system. Every subway ride is one less rideshare ride; less rideshare rides mean more space for buses, bikes, and people walking. Well worth the tax paid!

That farebox revenue needs to cover operational costs for public infrastructure seems just crazy to me. The fire department doesn't need to make a profit on putting out fires. Public parks don't need to make money by charging an admission fee. It's just something we pay for for public good. I'm pretty sure that public transportation fares are something nobody has ever really thought about; the networks used to be run by private companies, and when they were taken over by the government (which put them out of businesses by building highways) nobody ever thought to get rid of the fares. It's certainly time to think about it.

Tourist tax. Like when you check-in to your hotel they ask you to pay 15 euro.

This already exists, and there are various excise taxes the city levels on things tourists are likely to consume too.

Interestingly there has been a parallel conversation with EVs since money for road maintenance typically comes through gasoline taxes. The idea being that the more you use the more you pay (more driving == more gas, heavier vehicles == lower mpg, etc).

Wouldn't you want tourists to travel as efficiently as possible so they leave lots of money at various places (which the city participates in via sales tax)

I'd want locals to travel as efficiently as possible too- to get to their jobs.

> non-tax-paying riders (tourists)

They're literally carrying money into your local economy, yet you worry about them getting a free ride on the subway along with everyone else?

Tourists pay sales tax, Uber tax hotel tax etc