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More popular destinations are fighting back with tourist fines to combat the hordes of Instagram-fueled itinerants, all vying for their chance to post the perfect #travel selfie.
An influx of visitors can drive up local housing costs, pose safety risks and lead to unruly behavior. In response, some local governments have installed tourist taxes to drive revenue for local economies and reduce the negative impacts.
As Italy faces some of the most egregious overtourism globally, several cities, including Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan and Naples, have implemented tourist taxes and day-visit fees.
According to Go Italy Tours, when staying overnight in Italy, certain cities have a tourist tax, which is paid by the passenger directly to the hotel before the end of the stay. The amount varies by style of accommodation, time of year and where in Italy you’re staying.
Rome has increased fees in recent years around its historical monuments. Sitting, lounging, eating, loitering or even dragging a suitcase on or near the Spanish Steps could result in a fine of up to $448, ABC News reported.
Cities like Venice charge overnight visitors a tax of up to €5 ($5.79) on the first five nights of their stay, which the city has been doing since 2011. In 2024, Venice implemented an access fee to the historic city center for day visitors aged 14 or older to discourage crowding.
Tourists might also come across new kinds of fines. For example, swimming in the historic canals of Venice could lead to a €450 ($520) fine — and a 48-hour expulsion from the city.
Florence’s city tax rate ranges from $4 to $9.30 per person per night, depending on the accommodation, for up to 10 nights, per Carpe Diem Tours.
In Portofino, lingering in public spaces with suitcases, picnic equipment or portable speakers also risks a fine ranging from €25 to €500 ($29 to $590), depending on the violation, according to DPA.
The city also banned walking barefoot through the town, sitting on the piazza in swimwear, and stopping at popular view points in “no-waiting zones.” Those clogging the no-waiting zones can risk a €275 ($318) fine.
Several cities have started to tax tourists who aren’t dressed appropriately and wear swimsuits once away from the beach.
Cannes, France; Venice, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Split, Croatia; Sorrento, Italy; and Albufeira, Portugal, have all implemented fines up to €1,500 ($1,738) against tourists who wear swimsuits in the city and haven’t covered up, according to the BBC.
There’s also a so-called “flip-flop fine” in countries like France, Greece, Portugal or Spain, cracking down on those who rent a car and wear flip flops while driving. While not outright illegal, if traffic police stop someone and determine their footwear to be unsafe, they can be fined up to about €200 ($230), according to Express UK.
Famous party islands like Ibiza and Mallorca have also experienced a crackdown on “excessive tourism,” Daily Passport reported.
According to Sky News, Palma mayor Jaime Martínez said one of the main objectives of the fine is to “correct uncivil attitudes.”
Tourists who drink on the streets in Spain’s Balearic Islands could face fines of up to €3,000 ($3,475). A fine between €750 and €1,500 ($869 and $1,738) if the public drinking “disrupts coexistence, involves crowds or deteriorates the tranquillity of the environment.”
Dubrovnik, Croatia, followed suit, implementing a fine of up to about €4,000 ($4,630) for public intoxication, Euro News reported.
Mayor Tomislav Šuta told local Croatian press that the new fine is because “situations arise that impair the safety and quality of the life of tenants.”
Barcelona has implemented a fine for tourists who violate its quiet hours between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. to try to limit the late-night drunken behavior.
Amsterdam and Prague have similar laws, such as bans on loudspeakers, bar crawls, and beer bikes.
At the end of last year, Fodor’s released its 2026 “No List,” highlighting destinations where tourism is “placing unsustainable pressures on the land and local communities.”
The travel company stressed that the No List is not a call for a boycott, but rather a gentle reminder to give specific hotspots a break from the bustle.
On the list included Antarctica; The Canary Islands, Spain; Glacier National Park, Montana; Isola Sacra, Italy; The Jungfrau Region, Switzerland; Mexico City, Mexico; Mombasa, Kenya; and Montmartre, Paris, France.
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