The authorities of Venice, represented by the mayor, announced a reward for the capture of surfer tourists who encroached on the Grand Canal, and, according to the head of the resort city, thus “mocked” the legendary Italian center of culture and tourism. The reward is a free dinner, although the place of eating and the level of sophistication of the dishes were not specified.
According to Italian media, the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, personally shared on a Twitter account (blocked in Russia) a video of two travelers surfing one of Venice's canals and said he wanted to “punish” those who broke the rules.
“Here are two idiots who are mocking the city. I ask everyone to help us identify them in order to punish them, even if our weapons are really stupid. Mayors urgently need more powers in terms of public safety! For those who notice them, I offer dinner!” – such a scandalous post was written by the head of Venice, urging residents to join the search for tourists.
However, Brugnaro used to be distinguished by angry comments about travelers who violate the rules of Italy. For example, he reacted with rage to graffiti on one of the city's protected churches.
For reference, swimming or surfing in the canals of Venice is prohibited, as this can lead to damage, accidents or injuries. In addition to the obvious dangers, the water there is very dirty, as sewage flows there.
However, not everyone agreed with the mayor's position on the two surfers. “Actually, this is a great way to get around the city”, “A great way to risk falling into the water and being under a vaporetto”, – such comments were left by those who did not support the angry appeal of the mayor.
Help: The Vaporetto is a Venetian public water bus/tram, one of the most efficient ways to get around the famous Italian city.
Venice is tired of the endless stream of visitors and their antics, deciding to fight their excess. To do this, the authorities will introduce a new tax on day travelers from 2023, according to which cruise passengers and other “day” guests will be charged an additional fee to enter the city. Guests who stay overnight in Venice will not be affected as they are already paying the city's tourist tax.
In Venice, tourists often violate the rules of public order. So, recently, local residents were outraged by the behavior of two Americans who bathed naked in one of the canals, and then threw on towels and went to a rented apartment. In another recent case, an Australian traveler was arrested for riding a moped through the ancient city of Pompeii, which was buried under a layer of ash from Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 AD. (read details here). Also this year, two American visitors threw an electric scooter down the Spanish steps in Rome, drawing the ire of the authorities and the condemnation of local residents. Officials said the couple caused serious damage to the protected monument. So the incident with surfing is most likely not the last in a series of cases of bad behavior of tourists during a vacation in Italy.
Earlier, Turprom wrote that “This is a nightmare, you can’t go to the sea, it’s impossible to eat: a swarm of midges is already a popular resort is attacking for a month.”
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