Introducing tourist taxes, blocking views of popular attractions, launching an online quiz: the list of measures to tackle overtourism is getting longer and longer.
And Venice is no stranger to overcrowding. Italy’s famous canal city is home to only 250,000 residents, but sees more than 13 million tourists every year. The city’s historic canals are one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Europe, but the impact of this popularity can be detrimental – UNESCO even suggested including Venice on its endangered list last year.
In recent years, Venice has implemented various measures to tackle its problem with overcrowding. The city banned cruise ships in 2021, and this year introduced a compulsory €5 entry free for day-tripping tourists. The latest? A ban on loudspeakers and tourist groups of more than 25 people.
The restrictions, originally proposed in December, have been implemented this month. They’ll apply to those sightseeing in the area around the canals in central Venice, as well as Burano, Murano and Torcello.
‘The administration not only wants to give precise rules for respecting the fragility of Venice, the traffic, and coexistence with those who live in Venice,’ said Sebastiano Costalonga, Venice’s councillor for commerce, ‘but also give a signal regarding the presence of unauthorised tourist guides, which with this new article will no longer be tolerated.’
Seeing as the city has seen an exodus of residents due to overtourism, this new measure can only be a good thing.
See more of Italy with Time Out
While Venice is home to some pretty marvellous things to do and world-class attractions, there’s much more to see in Italy outside of its most popular destinations. In an effort to encourage tourism to lesser-visited areas, Italian officials have launched cross-country sleeper trains and a brand-new seven-day hiking trail. Check out our full guide to Italy here.
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