Anyone planning to visit Venice, Italy, should be sure to first brush up on the rules.
For example, visitors to the historic city should not swim in the historic canals that run through the city, litter, picnic in public areas or wear a swimsuit while sightseeing, The Independent reported. Violators could face a fine between €25 (approximately $30) and €500 ($587).
“The message we have to get through is that we’re not joking,” The Telegraph quoted Paola Mar, the official responsible for tourism, as telling La Nuova. “If it gets about that people who do this kind of thing are fined, as well as it being flagged to their respective embassies, perhaps we’ll be able to stop others copying.”
Venice is a popular destination for cruise ships, and city officials for some time have been discussing how to cope with the many tourists who traverse the city streets on a daily basis. That led to the new Respect Venice campaign.
“Venice is a one-industry city; it relies on tourism, like our bodies rely on food to survive,” The Local quoted a Venice resident as saying. “But in order to thrive, you need to have the right kind of food; the right kind of tourism. The wrong kind can mean death.”
Earlier this year, Venice banned kebab shops and other fast-food outlets, including those that sell pizza by the slice, from opening in the city, The Guardian reported. The move was necessary to “preserve decorum and traditions” in the city.
