It's another entry in the tourists behaving badly file, this time out of Venice. The Guardian reports a group ended up toppling into "a murky, cold canal" after they apparently refused their gondolier's requests that they sit down in the gondola and stop taking selfies. While directing their boat under a bridge near St. Mark's Square—a "tricky maneuver," per the paper—the weight needed to be balanced in the boat. The group, which reportedly hailed from China, continued moving around, ultimately causing the boat to capsize. The gondolier fell into the canal with them and helped get the passengers out of the water and on to land. (See video of the group in the water here.)
Elsewhere on the Venice-tourist front, the AP reported in late November that the city will in 2024 begin a pilot program that will see tourists charged 5 euros ($5.45) each to visit the city for the day on peak weekends. The fee applies during the prime hours of 8:30am to 4pm, meaning those popping in for dinner or a show won't pay. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro emphasized it's not a tourist tax or ploy for more revenue but rather a first-of-its-kind experiment to see if tourist flows can be adjusted in the fragile city, with the fee intended to encourage visits on lower-traffic days. (Read about another Italian selfie mishap here.)
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