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Will Venice Implement a New, Nightly Ban on Alcohol Consumption?

Locations in this article:  Venice, Italy

It’s the latest in the fight against overtourism, and in particular…. drunk tourists.

You might have to save your binge drinking for a city other than Venice. The city has announced a new nightly ban on alcohol consumption after 7:00 p.m. This includes open containers as well as liquor that is concealed in shopping bags.

This is all a part of Mayor Luigi Brugnaro’s crackdown on “boorish” behavior. And the fine for people exhibiting this type of behavior — which also includes sitting or lying on the ground ranges between $58 to $588.

Currently, it’s already illegal to sit on the steps of monuments, such as St. Mark’s Square and on the steps of the Rialto Bridge. And the Restrictions for visitors also include no lingering on bridges, no swimming or diving in the canals, no walking around in swimwear, no cycling, and no feeding pigeons.

It’s estimated that tourists outnumber locals in Venice by 140 to 1 during peak period (Venice only has a population of 55,000). And as a result of this imbalance, there’s been a growing crusade against overtourism that has been in full swing since this past summer with the #EnjoyRespectVenezia campaign.

And here’s one more note of warning for visitors to Italy as overtourism issues aren’t only affecting Venice. Look no further than the island of Sardinia, where sand stealing is a real problem. Thieves can face fines of up to $3,480 if caught stealing sand, pebbles or shells from Sardinia’s beaches.

As always, know before you go…

By Rosalyn Oshmyansky for PeterGreenberg.com