Venice is to ban loudspeakers and tourist groups of more than 25 people, in a bid to ease the impact of mass tourism on the Italian city.
The new rules will come into effect from June, the city said in a statement.
The use of loudspeakers has been banned as they can “generate confusion and disturbances”, it added.
Over-tourism is widely recognised as an urgent issue for the canal city, one of the most visited places in Europe.
In September, Venice approved the trial of a €5 (£4.30; $5.35) fee for daily visitors.
They don’t really do anything. They see the catered for attractions, on schedule, with no freedom, pissing off the public along the way. Hence things like this obviously happen.
You want to do something with a group of people? So, go do something with a group of people. Don’t do it with tourist guide companies. If you struggle to fathom such a simple concept, you probably shouldn’t be travelling amongst other cultures and areas yet before reading a bit first. That should be Step 1 of touring anyway, just in case that concept somehow has eluded anyone. It’s called basic respect.
How exactly are you going to decide which locations and which kind of groups are or aren’t allowed? I understand your frustration—having lived in Amsterdam for some time, the tourism really got under my skin—but realistically I think the better approach is to prohibit specific things that are causing annoyances, like using loudspeakers (or, in the case of Amsterdam, beer bikes). Another way to deter tourism is by increasing tourist taxes.
I just read and ask locals or online communities, these often tell you the tourist traps to avoid, which are mostly on a company guide list. All the while how to act, what not to.do, what to look out for,.etc. It’s a much more enriching experience. If not with friends,.I’ve teamed.up with backpackers, hotel strangers, and locals I’ve met at bars or online to go around seeing/doing things and exploring.
Tour guides aren’t needed. Nor their buses, speakers, queue cutting, vantage point hogging, street blocking, etc.
Oh, completely agreed; generally I avoid such things in much the same way.