One of Italy’s most beautiful tourist destinations has launched a clampdown on backpackers – for making the place look untidy.
Reuters reports that St Mark’s Square in Venice has begun slapping fines on visitors found sitting or lying down, or who fail to behave with decorum near the famous basilica. There have been reports that some tourists, unable to find a loo, have been urinating in the square.
People are being asked to stump up penalties of about £35 if they break the new rules.
The move is not new in Italy. In Florence, similar regulations have been brought in near the duomo, following complaints from local officials that tourists had been using the area as an “open toilet”.
