Another Italian city stands in the way of excessive tourism
Due to the excessive number of tourists, the authorities of Florence have announced banning measures that they plan to reduce the crowds in the historic center of the city.
One of the most beautiful Italian cities, which annually attracts millions of tourists, decided to take drastic measures in the fight against excessive tourism.
According to a statement from the city hall, Florence Mayor Sara Funaro and her cabinet approved a 10-point plan that includes banning certain items in the city’s historic core.
These include a ban on key boxes in buildings and the use of loudspeakers for tourist tours. The small boxes with digital pads, which owners of short-term rentals like Airbnb use to leave guests’ keys with, have become a symbol of local dissatisfaction with tourists.
Despite the pandemic, the number of visitors to the city has increased impressively. Local residents recently protested by placing red “X’s” on key boxes, expressing their frustration that the stunning city center, with its iconic buildings and narrow streets, has been turned into a hub for short-term holiday rentals, displacing residents and long-standing businesses.
According to ISTAT, the national statistics office, Italy recorded the highest number of visits in 2023 with 134 million arrivals and 451 million people staying in hotels or other registered accommodation.
Even 17 percent more tourists choose private accommodation compared to last year’s figures. Italian holiday destinations are teeming with tourism, and in 2023, tourism contributed as much as 10.5 percent of GDP.
As a reminder, the authorities of Venice have decided to increase the prices of one-day trips from April 18 next year, where tourists who decide to visit this city at the last minute will have to pay 10 euros for a tour.
Also, due to the sudden increase in the number of visitors, from November 15 the number of visitors to Pompeii will be limited to 20,000 per day.
Source: Agencies
Photo: Pixabay
Source: bizlife.rs
