Venice to introduce even stricter rules in its ongoing battle with overtourism

Crowds of tourists walking by typical venetian buildings near San Marco Square in Venice (Getty Images)

Venice will introduce even stricter rules as the lagoon city looks to limit the damage done by overtourism.

The city will limit the size of tourist parties to 25 people from Thursday in the latest attempt to reduce the impact of crowds.

Local authorities will also ban the use of loudspeakers by tourist guides in measures aimed at “protecting the peace of residents” and ensuring pedestrians can move around more freely.

Around 30 million tourists visit Venice in a typical year – with about seven out of 10 (or 21 million) staying only for the day. Just before the Covid pandemic, Unesco warned the city’s “status as a World Heritage property is in jeopardy”.

There will be fines ranging from 25-500 euros ($27-541) for those who do not comply with these new measures, which were originally planned to take effect from June but were held over until the start of August.

The restrictions cover the city centre and also the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. There are a number of exemptions to the rules on tourist parties. Children up to two years of age are not included in the count and the limitation is waived for visiting students or those on an educational trip.

Stewards check tourists QR code access outside the main train station in Venice, Italy (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

In April, Venice became the first city in the world to introduce a payment system for visitors in an experiment aimed at dissuading daytrippers from arriving during peak periods.

The pilot scheme, which has been watched closely by other European tourist hotspots, covered just 29 days and ended in July, opening the way for a period of consultation to decide how to proceed with the project in future.

Venice’s experiment with payment systems for tourists only had a small impact on reducing crowds, a politician has said, meaning prices will almost certainly be hiked next year.

Around 30 million tourists visit Venice in a typical year – with about seven out of 10 (or 21 million) staying only for the day. Just before the Covid pandemic, Unesco warned the city’s “status as a World Heritage property is in jeopardy”.

In a world first, the Italian destination introduced a 5-euro ($5.44) charge in April for daytrippers arriving on particularly congested days, hoping the levy would deter some people from visiting.