Portofino, Italy Slaps Fines On Tourists For Taking Selfies
Change is coming in Europe this summer, as one popular destination in Italy has introduced no-waiting zones in all its popular tourist spots. Reportedly, this is to stop people “lingering” too long, taking selfies and “Instagrammable” views to share with all their friends. For those who don’t obey the signs, a hefty fine will quickly reduce their vacation spending money.
Portofino in Italy introduces no-waiting zones
Since the pandemic, changes are being made around the world to make travel more sustainable. Some places, like Venice, are charging entry fees to visit as a day-tripper, others, like Bhutan, are charging high, daily tourist fees, just to visit the country. Now, Portofino in Italy is also making moves to stop visitors clogging up the traffic while taking selfies.
Portofino, on the Italian Riviera, is known for its gorgeous, pastel-colored houses and delicious seafood. However, each year, the number of visitors increases, with more people wanting to take advantage of this beautiful town.
In an effort to keep the traffic moving, local authorities in Portofino have introduced no-waiting zones at all the popular tourist spots and viewpoints. By doing so, they hope to keep traffic moving, without long queues of looky-loos blocking the view.
Should a tourist ignore the signs and carry on posing for Instagram, and should they get caught, they can expect to be slapped with a fine worth €275 (around $300) for taking that selfie.
‘Selfie-takers causing anarchic chaos’
While this may seem extreme to travelers, Matteo Viacava, the Mayor of Portofino, said the no-waiting zones are to stop visitors from “lingering for too long” in the popular areas. According to the Mirror, Mayor Viacava said, “Selfie-takers had been causing anarchic chaos, including massive traffic jams and blocked streets.”
Meanwhile, the new rule is already in place, as authorities in Portofino introduced them in time for the Easter weekend. Moreover, the no-waiting zones will remain in place until October 2023, when the tourism season ends.
Meanwhile, officials did note that the ban is also lifted each day after 6 pm, as apparently, tourists don’t take as many selfies in the evenings.
Other places with bans on selfies
Portofino isn’t the only place putting bans on selfies, as visitors are also banned from taking selfies in some parts of the Tower of London in the UK, for security reasons.
Meanwhile, in Spain, Pamplona now bans selfies during the annual Running of the Bulls event. In that case, people can be fined €3,000 (around $3,300) for stopping to take selfies during the popular event. It seems the rule is in place to protect them from being hit by one of the bulls. In other words, they might be mid-selfie and see a bull’s head in their phone’s “rear-view mirror,” so to speak.
Elsewhere in the world, other rules apply relating to selfies, especially on the railway network in Japan, where it is forbidden. It is always best to check with local authorities to find out any rules that are in place, so as to not spend valuable vacation money on fines.