Seeking to curb some of the excesses of tourism in the floating city, officials in Venice have issued new rules banning tour groups of more than 25 people as well as the use of megaphones by tour leaders.
The new rules issued by the city of Venice went into effect at the beginning of August. Violators face fines of 25-500 Euros ($27-$546).
The ban applies to the Venetian islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello, as well, but carves out exceptions for children under age 2 and school and educational groups.
The prohibition on the use of megaphones cited the devices for potentially generating “confusion and disturbances,” according to EuroNews.
The cap on the size of tour groups was originally scheduled to go into effect in June 2024, but the city postponed enforcement because some large groups had previously been booked for Venice tours.
“Many of [USTOA] tour operator members with programs in Venice have been preparing for this change by working closely with their partners within the destination,” Terry Dale, president of CEO of the U.S. Tour Operators Association, told Recommend. “Based on the individual operator, select operational adjustments have been made to adhere to the mandate and support Venice as they work towards deterring overcrowding and improving the visitor experience.”
Venice also has tried changing fees to day-tripping visitors to control the size of crowds.
