The town of Portofino, which sits just south of Genoa, Italy, will fine tourists for lingering in newly established “red” zones, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Anyone who violates the rules may be fined between €68 and €275 — about $74 to $300. The regulated zones will be in effect through at least Oct. 15, from the morning until 6 p.m.
The rules prohibit travelers from stopping and lingering “in points of aggregation and meeting places for groups and cruise passengers waiting to be boarded on boats or other things,” according to the paper. That lingering has previously created “serious obstacles and potential danger.” That means you can forget idling and taking endless selfies against the jaw droppingly beautiful backgrounds. The new watch word is “move along”.
Portofino Mayor Matteo Viacava told Corriere della Sera the new rules “allow all tourists who reach Portofino to be able to make the most of the village but also manage security in the square.”
Known for its colorful homes dotted around a picturesque harbor, Portofino has a population of just over 500 people that tends to swell to thousands during popular tourist seasons, according to The Independent.
Portofino is not the only Italian town to implement rules to curb crowds. Last year, Naples introduced a one-way foot traffic rule on Via S. Gregorio, a popular street filled with nativity scenes over the holiday season to cut down on crowding. And in 2021, Venice started tracking visitors using the city’s extensive CCTV camera network and mobile phone tracking system to combat overtourism. Rome has imposed a tourist tax since 2011 which ranges from €3 to €7 per person per night depending on the type of accommodation.
Europe is home to some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Millions of people overrun small and big cities during high season, stressing not only the infrastructure, but the local citizens. In recent years, the most popular cities have been cracking down on the situation, and one way to do that is by imposing restrictions to protect their cities and citizens. This one in Portofino is only the latest.
In many places tour guides must ditch megaphones and run smaller tours that will not obstruct pedestrians in the city center. Some cities have also imposed taxes on tourists to help fund local infrastructure and services, while other popular towns in France, like Marseille and Corsica, started capping visitors last year to control the influx of visitors.
Despite these restrictions, tourists are returning to Europe’s major cities after two years of pandemic-related restrictions and a lull in international travel. The European Travel Commission has forecasted strong demand for European vacations in 2023, with nearly half of all destinations on the continent expecting a return to more than 80% of 2019 numbers.
