Beautiful European seaside town so sick of overcrowding tourists fined for taking selfies | World | News

Popular towns and cities across Europe and further afield have been introducing laws and fines in an attempt to clamp down on overcrowding created by mass tourism.

Last summer, the jewel of the Italian Riviera took drastic action to safeguard its locals and tackle the crisis.

Home to just 400 residents, the picturesque fishing village and holiday resort in Italy’s Liguria region is visited by thousands of tourists wishing to soak up the Mediterranean glamour and wander among its brightly coloured houses.

But, while the crowds contribute to Portofino’s wealth – which emerged as Italy’s richest municipality in April with an impressive average income of 90,610 euros (£75,100) – they also risk making the town a difficult place to live in.

One particular issue is large numbers of people gathering around its small harbour to take selfies. To answer this issue, the mayor of Portofino Matteo Viacava introduced no-waiting zones, in which tourists were barred from “lingering”.

People stopping to pose for selfies in front of the stunning colourful homes overlooking the sea was creating “anarchic chaos” and congesting the streets, Mr Viacava said.

The measure was introduced over the Easter weekend, slapping anybody who lingered in tourist-hotspot areas with fines of up to £242.

The order regarding the “red areas” remained in place until the end of October every day from morning until 6pm.

Another rule was introduced throughout the peak tourist season, which targeted the “decorum” of the town. This barred people from walking through the town bare-chested, bare-footed or only wearing a swimming suit.

Portofino has always been a top destination for A-listers, including Frank Sinatra and also served as a background to Richard Burton when he proposed to Elizabeth Taylor.

In the late 19th century, British, then other Northern European aristocratic tourists began to visit Portofino, which they reached by horse and cart. Eventually, more expats built expensive holiday homes and by 1950 tourism had replaced fishing as the town’s chief industry.

The waterfront soon became a continuous ring of restaurants and cafes.

In 2023, the town averaged 91,330 monthly Google searches, making it the third most popular small town in Italy according to Statista.

Portofino is not the only hotspot to have introduced rules aimed at protecting locals from the pitfalls of overtourism.

Venice has plans to reintroduce entrance fees during peak tourist seasons in 2025, while it has already banned cruise ships over 55,000 tonnes from entering St Mark’s Basin and the Guidecca Canal.

Meanwhile Pompeii has capped daily visitors at 20,000 and implemented personalised ticketing, while Florence has banned new short-term rentals in its centre and prohibited tour guides from using loud speakers in its historic centre.

The islands of Capri, Ischia, Procida, Lampedusa, and Linosa have also introduced limits, or outright bans, on cars for non-residents during the main tourist season.