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Rome cracks down on bad tourist behavior
Plans are in store to spread awareness of the new policy to foreign embassies.
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Tourists and visitors gather around the 18th Century Baroque Trevi Fountain in downtown Rome on Aug. 26, 2018. (AFP/Vincenzo Pinto)
T
he Italian capital of Rome is establishing new restrictions against tourists going shirtless in public, attaching “love padlocks” on bridges and drinking from iconic water fountains.
As reported by The Independent tourists are not allowed to eat messy food in the vicinity of tourist attractions like the Trevi Fountain. Swimming in the fountain or drinking from it are now also considered offenses and those caught committing them are to receive “severe fines”.
Read also: Seven destinations that are being overrun by tourists
The sale of “skip the line” tickets to other tourist attractions like the Colosseum and museums in the Vatican, as well as dressing up as Roman centurions and charging tourists money, are now included among the offenses that should not be committed in Rome.
The new policy does not mean Rome would no longer be a welcoming city, said its mayor, Virginia Raggi. However, the administration is determined to no longer tolerate ugly behavior by visitors that damage the destinations.
Raggi added that plans are in store to spread awareness of the new restrictions to foreign embassies.
Rome's new rules follow up on Venice's effort to tackle overcrowding by tourists, which kicked off in 2017 through the #EnjoyRespectVenezia campaign. Those who disobey must be prepared to pay fines of up to 450 euro (US$504). (vit/kes)
