‘It has had no impact’: Venice’s effort to curb overtourism fails to thin crowds

Venice now charges tourists a small fee, while limiting tourist groups and banning loudspeakers, seeking to reduce the impact of overtourism on the city's residents. Photograph: Andrea Merola/EPA

Carrying a pole with the Mexican flag clipped on top, this is Alejandro’s first visit to Venice.

But the tour guide is unimpressed with the city’s latest endeavour to counter excessive tourism by limiting group sizes and outlawing the use of loudspeakers. His contingent, just shy of the new maximum limit of 25, is trudging over a bridge towards St Mark’s Square, seemingly more interested in taking selfies than absorbing the history lesson being delivered through their audio devices.