Italy hosts G7 tourism summit in Florence this week.
The mayor of Florence on Tuesday unveiled a range of measures aimed at tackling overtourism, as the Italian government hosts a Group of Seven (G7) tourism summit in the Tuscan capital.
The plan by the administration of centre-left mayor Sara Funaro includes a ban on placing key boxes in the historic centre, in a bid to curb short-term lets favoured by tourists, with effect from 2025.
Key boxes, which have been the focus of recent protests in Florence and Rome, are used to enable Airbnb guests to gain access to their short-term rental, without the hosts needing to meet their visitors.
Florence sustainable tourism plan
Other measures in the city’s 10-point sustainable tourism plan include a ban on loudspeakers for tourist guides as well as curbs on short-term tourist rental activities and the circulation of golf buggies.
In approving the plan, the city council noted that the historic centre of Florence is “no longer able to support, without weakening its heritage value and seeing its overall liveability compromised, such a massive presence of activities and means for exclusive tourist use concentrated in just 5 square kilometres”.
Florence welcomed almost nine million tourists in 2023, in addition to about 1.5 million day-trippers, the city said in a statement.
Turismo sostenibile & città vivibile.
È il piano del @comunefi per migliorare la qualità della vita dei residenti e porre le basi per un modello di turismo sostenibile. Firenze continuerà anche a chiedere una norma nazionale affinché la città possa essere sempre più tutelata.… pic.twitter.com/JqNSrG5Se8
— Sara Funaro (@sarafunaro) November 12, 2024
“The message we want to give is that we care about our city, and we care that Florence can be attractive but above all liveable for residents” – Funaro stated – “With these measures we will protect Florence, our primary objective is to ensure that our city can maintain its roots, its nature and its identity.”
Last year, under Funaro’s predecessor Dario Nardella, Florence announced a ban on new Airbnbs from opening in the historic centre, in response to “cry for help” from local residents.
G7 Tourism Summit in Florence
The new crackdown on overtourism in Florence comes as Italy’s tourism minister Daniela Santanchè hosts a G7 Tourism Meeting in the Renaissance city from 13-15 November.
The high-level summit, organised as part of Italy’s G7 presidency, is the first in history of the G7 to be devoted to the tourism sector.
Italy tackles overtourism
Florence is the latest Italian city to make news headlines for tackling overtourism.
Last year Venice introduced a tourist entry fee, a controversial move which will be expanded further in 2025 with double the number of days and a hike in the price of last-minute bookings.
The city of Milan last week approved measures to increase its tourist tax by €2 for guests of 4 and 5 star hotels, with the fee rising from €5 to €7 next year.
Meanwhile Rome is seeking to control crowds at the Trevi Fountain as the capital prepares for the Vatican’s Jubilee Year 2025 when more than 30 million tourists and pilgrims are set to arrive in the Eternal City.
This week the Pompeii archaeological park will introduce new measures to cap its daily visitor numbers at 20,000 in a bid to ease pressure on the ancient Roman site amid a recent surge of tourists.
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