Venice to segregate tourists and locals this weekend

Extraordinary measures will be introduced to deal with overcrowding this May Day weekend in Venice.

An ordinance has been approved by the mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, which will see residents and tourists segregated at various points from 28 May to 1 June.

These are “urgent measures to ensure public safety, safety and livability in the historic city of Venice,” according to a statement issued by local authorities.

The flow of tourists will be redirected from the more popular streets, with certain areas only accessible to locals and regular visitors who have a Venezia Unica card.

For example, the main road that visitors usually use to get from the bus and train stations to the popular Ponte di Rialto and San Marco church, Strada Nova, will be closed to tourists.

Instead, a system of diversions will direct them down back streets – they will still be able to visit the biggest attractions, but will have to make their way there via the maze of Venice’s rat runs.

The move comes after an extremely busy Easter, with tourist numbers expected to swell to more than 200,000 this weekend, dwarfing the city’s resident population of 50,000.

“It was like carnival last weekend,” a representative of the tourist office told The Independent. “It was just too crowded.”

However, The Independent’s head of travel, Julia Buckley, a regular visitor to Venice who holds a Venezia Unica card, said of the decision to divert tourists: “It’s a good idea in theory, but most locals or people who know Venice well don’t use those main streets anyway – they use back streets. So the idea of those being blocked by confused tourists holding maps is actually more annoying.

“I understand that they want people to see the lesser known side of Venice, but I can’t help feeling it may end up causing more chaos.”

Other measures include rerouting boats full of daytrippers that usually stop at Riva degli Schiavoni in San Marco to Fondamente Nuove in Cannaregio, which is further away from the city centre.

Those driving may need a parking reservation or risk being redirected away from the centre, and local police will be keeping an eye on the main car park; once full, they may limit the number of cars they allow over the bridge from the mainland.

“Our goal is to inform those who want to come to the city that in the coming days there could be an extraordinary influx of people, making it difficult to visit,” said the mayor in a statement.

“All tourists know that, if they respect the city, they are welcome. At the same time, however, we have the task of safeguarding Venice, and this is why we have adopted measures based on what is permitted by current regulation.”

He added that this weekend was an opportunity to “experiment with a new tourism management system”.

Justin Francis, CEO of Responsible Travel, lamented the overtourism which has prompted such measures.

“In my view, it’s tragic that it has come to this,” he told The Independent: “For decades tourism has been threatening Venice.

“They’ve found it impossible, or been unwilling, to confront the growth of tourists visiting from cruise ships or as Airbnb guests.

“The mentality has been one of ‘growth at all costs’, to the detriment of local people and the very soul and essence of the city.”

He added that Venice has been reduced to a theme park, with Disney-style crowd control in place.

“Tourism is about bringing people together, locals and visitors, and when done properly, both parties should reap the benefits. It should never be about segregation.”

Visitors have been told to regularly check the city’s Facebook and Twitter pages for news of diversions and crowd control measures.