Rome introduces new rules to curb unruly tourist behaviour
Rome has introduced a slew of new rules and regulations in the city to crack down on unruly tourist behaviour.
Visitors are now banned from carrying out a range of activities, including eating messily around monuments, touching lips on public fountains and dragging wheeled suitcases down historic steps.
Locals who dress up as Roman legionnaires with breastplates and swords to demand money from tourists from photos are also banned along with public transport buskers and illegal street-traders and ticket-touters outside tourist sights.
Fines will also apply for tourists who attach “love padlocks” to monuments and men who walk around the city bare-chested.
The new rules, which are part of the updates and expansions on the statute since 1946, are aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour and managing tourist strains on Rome’s historic sites.
“Old regulations have been updated to adapt to the needs of a modern society,” said Marco Cardilli, deputy chief of staff and security delegate at the city’s council.
Virginia Raggi, the mayor of Rome, said she would write to foreign embassies to raise awareness of the new regulations.
“Rome is, and always will be, welcoming, but that does not mean tolerating bad behaviour and damage being done to our city,” she said.
“The Rome city centre is an area protected by UNESCO, so clearly our centre is our business ticket. For sure there will be zero tolerance for those marring our city.”
While it remains unclear how these new rules will be enforced, it has been announced that the police will be patrolling historic sites for any infractions.