Tourists face €500 fine for sitting down in Venice

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