The city of Florence, one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations, has imposed a new restriction on holiday rental properties in the city's historic centre, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The initiative approved by center-left Mayor Sara Funaro prohibits the installation of small safes on sidewalks to leave keys for guests, a practice quite common among hosts of services such as Airbnb.
“With this rule, we will put an end to the use of key boxes on the facades of buildings. On the one hand, there is decorum; on the other, security. Just take a walk around the historic center, look at the buildings and see the number of safes there are,” said Funaro, as the city hosts the meeting of the G7 Tourism ministers.
The measure is part of a “sustainable tourism” plan by Florence City Hall, which also bans golf cart tours in the historic center, as well as the use of loudspeakers and megaphones by tour guides. The new rules are expected to come into effect in 2025.
Recently, the “capital of the Renaissance” has already banned the creation of new properties for seasonal rental in the area listed by UNESCO, an action that aims to combat mass tourism and contain the high cost of housing in the region. (HANDLE)
