Venice has been facing a huge number of tourists for years. Again and again, ideas are proposed to control these massive arrivals. On the other hand, tourism is the main source of income of this city on the Adriatic.
In response to mass tourism, the Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, calls for a national law limiting the number of apartments that can be rented to tourists. "Unfortunately, the municipality of Venice does not have this authority at the moment," Brugnaro said.
"A time limit should be set for apartments rented to tourists in Venice. For example, we could introduce the rule that only 100 days per year can be rented to tourists. It would, therefore, be less expensive to rent apartments on a long-term basis. We want to propose a corresponding law to the Veneto region and the government of Rome so that a solution can be found," pointed Brugnaro.
Venice and Florence have recently joined the campaign of ten major European cities, to request stricter rules for the American platform Airbnb. The objective is to limit the number of apartments rented to tourists and save city centers from mass tourism.
In Venice and Florence, the residents are complaining about the noise and the increase in rents due to the tourist rush. The objective is to conciliate the requirements of guests and residents, it is the wish of the two cities of art. The growth of Internet service providers must be managed in an orderly manner.
The lagoon city not only wants to limit the number of apartments for tourists but also announced at the end of September that it will limit the number of souvenir shops. Soon no shops with cheap souvenirs and similar junk items will be able to be opened near St. Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge. The local council regulation states that new businesses must support the "protection and exploitation of cultural heritage".
Moreover, the city is to charge an entrance fee starting on July 1, 2020. The entrance for tourists who spend a day in Venice will cost at least three euros (about $ 3.31). The measure was announced by the Italian city government, and the aim again is the fight against mass tourism. According to the current plans, the entry for weddings will rise from six to eight euros. From January 2021, the standard rate will increase to six euros. If Venice is too full of visitors, the price will rise from eight to ten euros.
