The fight to save Venice is intensifying. Starting next June, the Italian tourist magnet will impose a ban on loudspeakers and tourist groups larger than 25 people.

Millions of people make the pilgrimage to Venice, one of the most visited cities in Europe, every year. Authorities have long tried to reduce the pressure and impact of the large number of tourists who come to the city.

For several years, visitors staying overnight in Venice have had to pay a special tax, and in 2022 another tourist tax was introduced in an attempt to reduce the number of tourists. The year before the pandemic hit, there were 13 million visitors a year, a figure that is expected to rise as travel picks up again. 

Earlier this year, it was decided that an additional fee of around 50 kronor would be introduced for day tourists on certain days between April and mid-July, when pressure is highest.

But it has clearly not had the desired effect in the city – which has been classified as a World Heritage Site for over 30 years. Permanent residents are fleeing due to the overcrowding and today only over 50,000 people live in Venice.

Starting in June 2024, groups of visitors will be limited to 25 people, which is equivalent to about half a tour bus, the city announced.

In addition, loudspeakers are prohibited on the grounds that they may cause interference.

”"The bans aim to make it easier to manage groups in the historic center," Elisabetta Pesce, head of security in Venice, wrote in a comment, according to the BBC. 

The UN agency UNESCO has stated on two occasions that Venice should be added to the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger.

In 2021, large cruise ships were banned from docking in the city after a ship crashed into the harbor on the Giudecca Canal.

Source: TT-DI.SE