Venice cracks down on unruly tourists as over-tourism tests the City’s limits

Venice and the over-tourism effect

Meanwhile, with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents, the city receives around 40,000 tourists a day. An academic study of Ca’ Foscari University put Venice’s maximum capacity for day trippers at 50,000. The introduction of a day tripper fee of €5 or €10 during 54 days of the year did little to dampen the total number of visitors and relieve pressure on the historical center.

Saturation of the urban space and over-tourism are not only taking their toll on the city experience. It brings also a lot of visitors showing little respect for the historic town and its inhabitants.

Latest story is about two foreign tourists – a Romanian girl and her British boyfriend coming from Britain. They have been expelled from Venice historic center for 48 hours and fined €450 (appr. US$485) after plunging into the Grand Canal.

Police said a 35-year-old Briton and his 25-year-old Romanian girlfriend were spotted by gondoliers for swimming near the Rialto area. Police forces escorted them out of the water. The 48-hour ban from the historic center was pronounced under rules prohibiting “acts contrary to decorum” such as bathing in the city’s waterways.

City leaders condemned the pair’s actions. Security Councillor Elisabetta Pesce thanked the gondoliers who intervened. She warned that Venice “must be defended from those who disrespect it,” stressing the need to preserve public safety, hygiene, and the fragile heritage of the canal network.

Are tougher rules really deterrent?

Venice has generally toughened enforcement in recent years amid record tourist crowds and a string of headline-grabbing stunts. It goes from bridge-jumping to motorized surfboard rides through the Grand Canal. Officials have introduced fines, temporary bans, and immediate expulsion orders to protect the city’s magical atmosphere. These stricter rules send a clear message that Venice is no playground for misbehaving visitors.

Results of the city acting against uncivil behavior talk for themselves. According to deputy police commander Gianni Franzoi, Venice issued roughly 1,136 expulsion orders for “degradation and uncivil behavior” since the start of 2025.

Are considered uncivil behavior the following acts in the historical center :