Florence Mayor, Sara Funaro, has unveiled a ten-point plan to address overtourism and improve life for local residents. The plan, which comes into effect in 2025, includes measures aimed at reducing the impact of tourism on Florence.
The new regulations will ban key safes, golf carts, and loudspeakers used for tourism purposes. Property owners will be required to display their holiday rental ID number. Furthermore, checks will be carried out on tourism services. The city will launch campaigns promoting sustainable tourism and work with major online travel agencies to encourage responsible behaviour. A data-driven approach will also be adopted for managing short-term rentals.
Additionally, ongoing discussions with both public and private stakeholders will take place alongside the creation of a commission to plan future tourism policies.
The ten-point plan follows a previous attempt by the city council to reinstate a 2023 bylaw that would ban short-term rentals for tourism purposes in residential areas. The council has also called on the Italian government to implement nationwide legislation on short-term rentals.
Protests in Florence at time of G7 Tourism Summit
In recent days, red crosses with the message “Let’s save Florence so we can live here” appeared on key safes across the city. The protest, organised by the Salviamo Firenze group, criticised former mayor Dario Nardella. The group accused him of supporting overtourism while enabling major real estate investment funds to take over Florence. The protest coincided with Nardella’s “Against the G7 on Tourism” conference at Palazzo Borghese, ahead of the G7 Tourist Ministers’ Meeting.
Tourism in Florence is expected to reach 15 million visitors in 2024. The proposed bylaw, which would apply to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Florence, is aimed at encouraging local residents to return to the city centre. As part of the plan, the city council intends to offer a three-year tax exemption for second homes used as short-term rentals if owners switch to long-term leases.
