The issue of over tourism is affecting charming Italian villages, and one village has decided to take action to address it. Portofino, a picturesque coastal town located on the Italian Riviera, has become a popular destination for tourists, leading to difficulties for the local community, and now, this Italian village is fining tourists up to 275 euros for taking selfies.
The town's scenic harbour, adorned with colourful buildings, has become a sought-after backdrop for Instagram-worthy photos. During the summer, this popularity translates into a surge of visitors who often obstruct pathways and roads while busy taking selfies. Despite having just over 400 residents, the town attracts a significant number of tourists, occasionally exceeding 10,000, resulting in congested streets and traffic jams.
In response to these challenges, the mayor of Portofino has implemented designated no-waiting areas. Anyone found lingering on the quay for an extended period between 10:30am and 6pm now faces a fine of 275 euros. This is also the case in the village's other popular beauty spots such as the lighthouse, the castle and the churches of San Giorgio and San Martino di Tour.
The mayor of Portofino, Matteo Viacava, emphasised in a recent interview that "anarchic chaos" had been created in the village by tourists stopping to take photographs and resulting in massive traffic jams and blocked streets.
The new rules were originally put in place over the Easter weekend, when Portofino was packed with tourists, and the rules will remain in place until October.