Stroll, yes, but without stopping.
Tourists visiting the village of Portofino, Italy will have to get used to this new rule.
To make the flow more fluid and avoid crowds, its mayor Matteo Viacava has just set up “red zones” in the historic center in which it is forbidden to stop.
One stretches from Piazza Martiri dell'Olivetta to the Calata Marconi dock, the other from the public toilets to the Umberto I pier.
The city councilor of the municipality, located on the Ligurian coast near Genoa and populated by only 400 inhabitants, evokes in the newspaper
Corriere della Sera
"
problems of fluidity in the circulation of people and vehicles
" and "
a potential danger due to the excessive population density in relation to the available area
”.
Read alsoFive good reasons to discover Genoa, the superb Ligurian city
68 to 275 € fine
This measure was put in place during the Easter weekend during which 6,000 to 7,000 visitors strolled through this fishing hamlet popular with celebrities.
It applies every day between 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. until October 15, 2023. Visitors who do not respect this rule risk a fine of between €68 and €275.
The mayor nevertheless specifies that the aim is not to punish but to make visitors and their guides aware of the importance of relieving congestion in the historic centre.
Elsewhere in Italy, several municipalities have taken action against overtourism and the indiscipline of certain visitors.
Not far from there, in the Cinque Terre, to avoid the risk of accidents, it is forbidden to take the hiking trails in flip-flops.
A fine of 50 to 2500 € is provided for offenders.
For its part, Venice must introduce a tax of 3 to 10 € for tourists who visit the historic center for the day.
Postponed for months, this measure is announced for the summer of 2023.
