Venice will soon limit the size of tourist groups in a move to ease the pressure of mass tourism in the over-subscribed city.
From June, the Italian city will limit groups to 25 people, around half the capacity of tourist buses.
Loudspeakers often used to guide tours will also be banned because they “can generate confusion and disturbances”, the city said in a statement.
The city official charged with security, Elisabetta Pesce, said the policies were aimed at improving the movement of groups through Venice’s historic centre as well as the heavily visited islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.
The move follows a slew of measures to regulate visitors to Venice, which sees around 20 million people wander its warren of streets and canals every year.
Recently plans were unveiled to implement a €5 ($5.45) per person fee for day trip visitors on 29 peak days between April and mid-July, including most weekends.
People who spend more than one night in La Serenissima, as the city is known, will be exempt from the charge.
Officials say the policy intends to regulate crowds, encourage longer visits and improve the quality of life for Venice residents.
There have also been moves to limit the number of cruise ships visiting Venice each day.
