Venice bans loudspeakers and caps tour group numbers in overtourism battle

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Venice has introduced new rules banning the use of loudspeakers and limiting tour group sizes as part of ongoing efforts to tackle overtourism in the city’s historic centre. At the time, officials said that the use of loudspeakers “may cause confusion and disturbance”, while the tourist group restriction would “respect the fragility of Venice”. The city’s councillor for commerce, Sebastiano Costalonga, said: “The administration not only wants to give precise rules for respecting the fragility of Venice, the traffic, and coexistence with those who live in Venice but also give a signal regarding the presence of unauthorised tourist guides, which with this new article will no longer be tolerated.” An estimated 20 million tourists visit Venice annually, in comparison to around 50,000 permanent residents in the centre. Venice security councillor Elisabetta Pesce said last year that the new provisions are “part of a broader framework of interventions aimed at improving and better-managing tourism” and sought a “greater balance” between residents and visitors.