In 2024, the City of Venice laid out new rules for incoming tourists, limiting group size, enacting day-trip fees, and more.
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Similar to the new regulations that launched for Machu Picchu in 2025, the new rules seek to minimize the impact of high-volume tourism. In both cases, it’s designed to protect major sites.
But in the case of Venice, those new regulations are also designed to improve the daily lives of local residents. Along with protecting major landmarks, authorities in Venice are zeroing in on city culture in the hopes of improving tourist behavior.
While I’m sure this has been on the authorities’ radar for a while, this year’s highly publicized Jeff Bezos wedding (which was planned to be in the city center) was the source of city-wide protests. Locals were so thorough that the wedding was eventually moved.
And now, it looks like local authorities are cracking down on rules aimed at tourists, dubbed ‘Forbidden Behaviors’.
What are the new rules for tourists in Venice?
Technically, the rules aren’t new since they’ve been around since 2022—only the vigor with which they’ll be policed. For years now, local groups have been looking for ways to meaningfully improve tourist behavior.
For example, back in January 2024, Città di Venezia released a list of 12 norms, called ‘good rules for the responsible visitor’. The list includes suggestions on how to have a great trip while being a respectful tourist, from exploring islands across the lagoon to visiting artisan workshops to walking on the right-hand side of the street.
It’s a respectable list—but you won’t face any fines for deviating. That’s not the case with the newly enforced forbidden behaviors, which come with fines and being banned from the location.
Here’s what not to do in Venice:
- Don’t eat and drink sitting on the ground, bridges, steps, walkways, etc. (Fine: €100-200)
- No swimming or diving into the canals (Fine: €350)
- Don’t litter or leave out trash bags in public areas (Fine: €350)
- Don’t walk around in a swimsuit (or bare-chested) (Fine: €250)
- Don’t feed pigeons or seagulls (Fine: €25-250)
- No bicycles—even if you’re walking them by hand (Fine: €100)
- No camping in public areas (Fine: €200)
