EnjoyRespectVenezia
EnjoyRespectVenezia. Venice’s awareness campaign for responsible tourism – a sustainable coexistence between visitors and residents.
The campaign was launched during the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development” in 2017. It was designed to encourage visitors into adopting more responsible and respectful behaviour; towards the environment, landscape, artistic treasures and the identity of Venice and its inhabitants.
A key objective was to raise awareness of tourist impact, with the belief that responsible tourism; can contribute to sustainable development. You also need to be aware of prohibited practices in Venice, enforced by the Municipal Police; as the potential fines are significant (Euro 25-500).
Please read this, in conjunction with my other post “Venice Visitor Taxes”; giving essential information about present and future charges that visitors need to be aware of.
- Recommendations and Enforcement.
- Tourist Report – Daily estimate of visitors to Venice.
- Forbidden Behaviour.
- Links (internal – external).
Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is extraordinarily beautiful and unique in the world. It represents a cultural and natural asset of exceptional value; with the aim of ensuring its preservation for future generations.
The aim of the “EnjoyRespectVenezia” campaign is to raise awareness. It provides the tourist with guidelines, through advice, recommendations and practical information; that are compatible with the context and adapted to the local customs and traditions.
EnjoyRespectVenezia – Recommendations and Enforcement.
> Visitors are encouraged to discover the hidden treasures of the city in the least visited places, explore the islands in the lagoon and mainland Venice, participate in events that are held throughout the Metropolitan City.
> Taste the local products and the typical Venetian cuisine.
> Preserve the ancient trades in Venice, by buying only original products from its craft shops.
> Encourage the use of qualified tourist guides, to give an authentic experience in Venice and learn about Venice’s thousand-year-old history.
> Besides the tourist and cultural suggestions, information of a practical nature is also provided.
> Walk on the right so as not to obstruct pedestrian traffic, avoid standing on the bridges and not riding or even simply pushing bicycles in the historic centre.
> Food and drink must not be consumed at any time in and around monuments, church steps, bridges, wells, the banks of streams and canals. This applies to major attractions, especially to St. Mark’s Square. In particular, along the arcades and steps of the Procuratie Nuove, the Napoleonic Wing and the Sansoviniana Library, Piazzetta dei Leoncini, along the portico of Palazzo Ducale, in Piazzetta San Marco and on the waterbus piers. The public gardens are designated for breaks and refreshments.
> The entire city of Venice is a city of art and as such requires respect. Camping is absolutely forbidden throughout the city. Littering and inappropriately disposing of any type of solid or liquid waste, vandalising with graffiti or padlocks and feeding the pigeons. If you are staying in an apartment or flat, please find out about garbage collection and recycling.
> Do not walk about bare chested or in swimwear. For personal and public safety reasons, do not dive or swim in streams or public canals, or in St. Mark’s Basin. The fine beaches of Lido and Pellestrina, can be easily reached from the historic centre of Venice.
> To preserve urban cleanliness and the landscape, and also for public safety and hygiene the Municipal Police of the City of Venice has enforced regulations prohibiting certain behaviours. Violation of any of the regulations may result in the application of administrative fines from €25 to €500.
Tourist Report – Daily estimate of visitors to Venice
To fully enjoy the city and make the most of its services, plan your trip and stay in Venice at quieter times of the year when it is less crowded. A calendar (Tourist Report), is reported to be available on-line, with the 2020 daily tourist estimates.
Knowing ahead of time the number of tourists planning to visit Venice will enable you to have a more satisfying, and also sustainable trip of the City.Organize your trip to Venice ahead of time: if you want to really enjoy the City, and not wait in queues for museums, public transport and access to parking areas, avoid days when big turnouts of tourists are foreseen.
EnjoyRespectVenezia – Forbidden Behaviour
Current regulations enforced by the Venice City Council Municipal Police, forbid certain behaviour, in order to preserve urban cleanliness and landscape, and also for reasons of safety and public hygiene.
The violation of such regulations involves the application of administrative fines – from €25 to €500.
> Do not consume food and drink sitting on the ground, do not sit or lie down on banks and foundations, monuments, bridges, steps, puteals and high-water walkways
Fine: 100 to 200 euros
DASPO – Urban banning order (offenders will be immediately banned from the place where the offence was committed)
> Do not bathe, dive into and swim in the canals
Fine: 350 euros
DASPO – Urban banning order (offenders will be immediately banned from the place where the offence was committed)
> Do not litter or dump rubbish in public areas
Fine: 350 euros
> Do not walk around bare-chested or in a swimsuit
Fine: 250 euros
> Do not feed pigeons or seagulls
Fine: 25 euros to 500 euros
(see art. 24 of Municipal regulations regarding Urban Veterinary Hygiene and Animal Welfare)
> Bicycles are forbidden (even when only lead by hand)
Fine: 100 euros
*It is allowed to carry bikes by hand exclusively from pIazzale Roma to the Venezia Santa Lucia train station. You can reach Lido and Pellestrina carrying your bike with you on public transport: www.avmspa.it and www.terminalfusina.it
> Do not camp or bivouac in public areas
Fine: 200 euros
DASPO – Urban banning order (offenders will be immediately banned from the place where the offence was committed)
Also (? exact charges not yet available), for graffiti or street art spraying, use of padlocks (? on railings, as a form of remembrance at certain popular sites, eg., near to Rialto bridge) and selling fake goods on streets (? mostly north African guys selling designer bags, especially around San Marco).
LINKS (internal – external)
City of Venice – EnjoyRespectVenezia Website in English You can also find a map of rest areas and public rest-rooms. Each site has a downloadable Pdf local information document.
User account | Comune di Venezia. You are directed to this official site of the City of Venice for daily visitor numbers. You appear to need to set up a user account and login to get to the daily tourist numbers information. It’s not obvious to me yet, how to set up an account!
Venezia Unica Official City of Venice Tourist and Travel Information
Europe for Visitors website More Venice visitor statistics
Statista Website Graph of number of international tourist arrivals in the Italian municipality of Venice from 2011 to 2021 (in 1000’s). You can see the dramatic affect on visitor numbers during Covid-19 years.
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