Venice’s Large Group Ban Starts Today

The implementation of Venice’s large tour group ban is here.

As of Thursday, August 1, groups of more than 25 people will not be allowed in the historic city, according to the Venice municipal website. In addition, guides are banned from utilizing loudspeakers when leading groups along city streets.

The Venice City Council unanimously approved the new measure back in January, which applies to both the historic center of Venice, as well as the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello.

Specifically, the new rule says that tour groups visiting the city will not be allowed to exceed 25 people or half of the passengers of a coach. Children up to two years old will not be included in the count for such group visits.

The rule is part of a broader, ongoing effort by officials in Venice to tackle overtourism in the popular city.

It is designed protect the city’s residents and also make pedestrian mobility easier, according to the City of Venice website, which explains that this is especially needed in “places where there is a clear hindrance to the circulation of pedestrian flow, in particular on the bridges and access ramps to the bridges themselves, [which are] reserved for the disabled.”

The effort to ease pedestrian flow in the crowded city also includes banning multiple tour groups from gathering in one place at the same time.

“In the event that there are several visiting groups in the same place, the guide and/or the accompanying person …is obliged to station their group distanced from the other groups at a distance such as not to cause an obvious hindrance to the circulation of the pedestrian flow,” the city’s website adds.

It’s also worth noting that the new limitations do not apply to groups of students visiting the city on educational trips.

Venice also recently conducted an initial run of a new entry fee system for daily visitors. As part of that system, which ran from April 25 through July 14, visitors were required to pay 5 euros to enter the city.  That amounts to about $5.45. The system is expected to be used again in the future and may include increased entry fees.

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