Almost half of Italians want their Government to implant stricter rules to curb the impact of overtourism, a new survey has found.
Much like Majorca, Italy has been struggling with a growing number of visitors which has resulted in an increase in costs and a housing shortage for locals.
Popular destination hubs like Rome, Florence and Venice have seen visitors balloon out of control, forcing residents to cope with severe disruption to their daily lives.
A new poll by the Jfc Opinion Research Institute found that more than 49 percent of respondents believe a new strategy is needed to limit the impact of overtourism.
Another 38 percent opposed the introduction of tourism mitigation measures, with one-fifth arguing it would be “unfair” to impose entry limits on popular cities because they are public spaces.
However, a similar number of people think regulations would be “ideal for a sustainable quality of life for residents.”
Venice has been following in the footsteps of some Spanish cities by introducing a limit on tour group size to 25 people over the summer.
The new restriction, which applies to the main island as well as Murano, Burano and Tocello, was devised to unclog the popular alleyways of the island city.
Tour operators found to be in breach of the measure risk fines of up to £422 but the professionals have argued the limit is unlikely to have much of an impact in the long-term.
Tour guide Giulia told The Guardian: “It’s not easy to find guides to take care of more than one group – we have a busload of 50 tourists but only one guide.
“It’s early days but, much like the entrance fee, I doubt it will change a thing.”