Venice has come up with a new fine for uncultured tourists
As Vinegret.cz notes, a similar ban is in effect today, but it only applies to St. Mark's Square and the steps of landmarks. The new initiative proposes to extend it to the entire territory of Venice and significantly increase the fine.
For the innovation to take effect, it must be approved by the city council. The document is scheduled for consideration in October. Activists and the opposition criticize the initiative, noting that enforcing the new rule would require hiring about 5,000 new police officers.
In addition, there are already so many rules in effect in Venice today that even locals are beginning to get confused by them. These include a ban on feeding pigeons, walking bare-chested, snacking on the street, swimming in canals, and others.
It is worth noting that Venice is visited by up to 30 million tourists a year, while the number of local residents has more than tripled over the past half century – from 175,000 to 56,000. The main reason why Venetians leave the city is the huge number of travelers and the infrastructure "tailored" to them.