Venice’s authorities are putting strict rules on tourists

Visitors in Venice could be fined up to €500 for sitting in undesignated spots, as the city continues to struggle with overwhelming tourism levels.

The idea was proposed by Mayor Luigi Brugnaro.

Breaking the rules could cost you up to €500

It is the latest in a long list of measures designed to deal with the city’s popularity as a tourist destination.

Venice’s #EnjoyRespectVenezia campaign indicates that tourists are welcome but they must follow the city’s rules.

He said: “The aim is to create more of a deterrent to people who think they can come to the city of Venice and do what they want, not respecting the city, urban decorum, and public safety.”

List of measures designed to deal with the city’s popularity

“Venice is dying,” said protester Marco Baravalle at the time.

“The mayor putting in the turnstiles is demonstrating that he is giving up. He wants Venice to become a city with no inhabitants.”

Other initiatives to curb tourism and control its impact include:

• No pausing on bridges
• No swimming in the canals
• No riding or wheeling along of bikes
• No feeding of the birds
• No wearing swimwear in the city or being shirtless
• No dropping litter
• Forbidden attaching “love locks” to monuments and bridges
• No standing or laying down on benches
• No climbing trees, buildings or monuments
• No excessive noise at night or between 1pm and 3pm
• Picnics are only allowed in public parks
• No busking without a permit
• No drawing, painting or other creation of art without a permit
• All large cruise ships (over 55,000 tonnes) will be banned from docking by 2021
• No new takeaway outlets are permitted to open in the city for the next three years

Breaking the rules could see tourists fined anywhere between €25 and €500.