The Front Page: The strange rules emerging in the world’s most popular tourist destinations

Some international destinations have struggled with over-tourism for years. Photo / Getty Images

Travel numbers and opportunities are finally ticking up again after dreams of international destinations were squashed by the pandemic.

School and university winter holidays are now set to coincide with the European summer, and many Kiwis will undoubtedly be grabbing the opportunity to take flight overseas.

But if you are heading to some dream destinations, you’ll find that their new normal looks a little different.

Cities like Bali, Amsterdam, Venice and Rome have introduced a number of new rules to ensure that tourists don’t completely take over these spaces.

NZ Herald travel editor Stephanie Holmes recently visited Europe and she joined The Front Page to share some insights on to avoid getting burned by the new rules in place.

“Too many tourists can put a strain on infrastructure, resources and make living conditions really unpleasant for locals,” says Holmes.

“Dubrovnik in Croatia, Venice in Italy and Barcelona in Spain are all examples of places that have suffered from over-tourism.

To combat this, many destinations have started putting new rules in place to keep tourists in check – and disobeying these rules can lead to hefty fines in some instances. One destination has even gone as far as banning the use of jandals on certain walking tracks.

So which cities have incorporated new restrictions? What happens when tourists don’t respect the rules?

Should Kiwis consider the roads less travelled as alternatives? And will some destinations face backlash for being too restrictive?

Listen to the full episode of The Front Page podcast to hear what you should think twice before chomping down on a snack on the streets of Venice or Florence.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. It is presented by Damien Venuto, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in business reporting who joined the Herald in 2017.

You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.