Venice limits tour groups to 25 people and bans megaphones in latest tourism crackdown

Venice has banned tour guides from using megaphones and limited their groups to 25 people.

The new rules on tour groups sizes came into force on Thursday but include exceptions for children under two, school groups and educational trips. They also apply on the Venetian islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.

The limit was supposed to come into place in June but this was delayed as many guides had already booked group tours of more than 25 people.

Guides who break the rules could face fines of between €25 and €500.

The use of loudspeakers, “which can generate confusion and disturbances” according to the city, has also been banned.

The city official charged with security, Elisabetta Pesce, said last year that the policies were aimed at improving the movement of groups through Venice’s historic centre, as well as the heavily visited islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.

They also hope to make life better for those who live and work in the city.

How else is Venice managing crowds?

The city has also been testing a new day-tripper fee. The €5 per person charge was applied on 29 peak days between April and mid-July, including most weekends.

It’s intended to regulate crowds, encourage longer visits and improve the quality of life for Venice residents.

In total, the trial earned the city €2.2 million from around 450,000 visitors but some have branded it as a “failure”. They say it did little to curb tourist numbers with an average of 75,000 visitors over the first 11 days of the trial.

The UN cultural agency cited tourism’s impact on the fragile lagoon city as a major factor in it twice considering placing Venice on UNESCO’s list of heritage sites in danger.

The city escaped the first time by limiting the arrival of large cruise ships through the Giudecca Canal and again last September when it announced the roll-out of the day-tripper charge, which had been delayed when tourism declined during the COVID-19 pandemic.