Venice’s City Council has taken a number of new steps to address long-standing issues with tourism, which is both its bane and its lifeblood. The new measures impose some restrictions, but also encourage tourists to visit more of the city, with a lighter footprint.
Most of the regulations will go into effect immediately on a trial basis, and be reviewed after the peak summer season. To back up the information, ‘people-counters’ will be installed at high-traffic areas. In addition to providing data, real-time posting of the counts will enable people to avoid getting stuck in crowds.
The city is issuing new tourism maps that show alternate routes to destinations, and pinpoint public bathrooms and picnic spaces. The hope is that making facilities easier to find, there will be less public urination and litter.
The maps also highlight parts of the city outside the most popular attractions, hoping to draw more visitors there. Transport tickets offered to travelers will also be extended to cover the whole metropolitan area in hopes that visitors will spread out more, especially in terms of accommodations.
On the ‘negative’ side, the city is moving ahead with limits on the number of tourist accommodations in the central area. The high rates available to owners renting to tourists have helped push up rents in general, forcing locals to move elsewhere, and helping fuel depopulation of the ancient city.
