Why Bezos is not to blame for the protests against his wedding in Venice
Even before its official start, this large-scale celebration provoked a series of protests: local residents had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the huge influx of tourists, which is effectively destroying the city, and the billionaire’s wedding became a catalyst for all the problems associated with overtourism.
The main protesters were activists from the Extinction Rebellion group: in front of St. Mark’s Basilica, they chanted slogans against the American billionaire and called for peace in the Gaza Strip. Many journalists wrote that the protests against this wedding reflect dissatisfaction with the fact that a few super-billionaires are gaining real influence over governments and the media, which poses a real threat to democracy.
But the problem runs much deeper. The choice of Venice as a beautiful setting to fulfill their desire for a fairy tale is no coincidence; many people, even those who are not so wealthy, are drawn to this unique city.
Overtourism is the name given to the main problem facing Italian cities.
What used to be a well from which one could drink is now becoming a death sentence.
This sentence is called touristification.
The ever-growing flow of tourists increases pressure not only on physical space, but also on residents (local residents), who witness how urban spaces – their urban spaces – are adapted to the needs of tourists, not themselves.
Overtourism is a real scourge of modern Italy.
According to the Italian Institute of Statistics, an absolute record was set in 2024 with 458.4 million visitors[1] (to Italy), which is comparable to the population of the entire European Union.
Many of these visitors come for the cultural and historical heritage of Italian cities such as Florence or Venice, which Italians themselves consider almost commonplace, but which are of unquestionable interest to residents of other countries.
Venice has always been a tourist magnet, but in recent years, the city has become a hotspot for tourism emergencies.
Mass tourism itself is not a bad thing; in fact, it is beneficial, at least for the economy. Overtourism begins when the flow of tourists exceeds the physical, environmental, and social capacity of the destination. This is when there are so many tourists that their presence has a negative impact on the tourist destination itself.
One of the negative consequences of overtourism is touristification—the real transformations that occur in the economic, social, and spatial spheres (e.g., urban planning) of a destination solely because of tourism.
Of course, tourism should not be demonised, as it is a key component of the Italian economy. However, according to architect Giovanni Leone, tourism needs to be managed, and this requires research, statistics and reflection.
The example of Florence is very telling. Approximately 30,000 tourists pass through the historic city center every day. Obviously, this burden falls not only on the city itself, but above all on the service sector, which should actually serve not only visitors but also the city’s permanent residents. As a result, the city becomes a platform for consumerism, where tourists who want to enjoy their vacation clash with locals who want to live peacefully in their city.
In this “race” tourists have an advantage: they are in “vacation mode,” when they can afford to spend more than they would in their everyday lives. But for a city, hosting
[1] https://www.istat.it/comunicato-stampa/flussi-turistici-iv-trimestre-2024/
such guests is not a matter of a day or two, but rather a constant endeavor, which has a negative impact on the city’s hospitality resources.
Tourist gentrification is taking place—in Florence, for example, where the face of the historic city center is changing in accordance with the needs of tourists, with the number of hotels and B&Bs growing at an incredible rate. As a result, the amount of affordable housing for categories of citizens such as students, the elderly, and ordinary workers, among others, is decreasing. Thus, many locals are forced to move from the center to the outskirts of the city or even to nearby municipalities. And along with the locals, services are also “leaving” the center: instead of shops necessary for the life of city residents, another souvenir kiosk, restaurant, or shop selling typical sweets (which may not necessarily be the case) is opening.
What does this lead to? It leads to locals beginning to hate or at least feel strongly negative towards them, simply because of their mass presence. From euphoria, through irritation, and finally to antagonism. In Venice, for example, residents are given priority access to river trams, but in practice, locals cannot even squeeze through to claim their right. Who would be warm towards tourists in such circumstances?
A relatively recent example: in 2019-2020, Florence had an “anti-sandwich law” in place: a decree prohibited the consumption of food and drinks on the sidewalks in front of shops and residential buildings. The measure was supposedly intended to combat the crowds of tourists who occupied all the free space on the city’s central streets eating sandwiches, but there are a couple of serious “buts.” For example, the area covered by these fines includes Dei Neri Street, which is lined with shops and sandwich cafes selling fresh panini and sciacciate, where there are no seats and the very aesthetics and “custom” of the establishments suggest eating on the street in the most informal setting possible.
It turns out that the presence of tourists—or, more precisely, their excessive presence—changes the nature of the city’s usual dining habits, and this is a serious matter.
Not only “le città d’arte” suffer, but also the provinces where summer tourism associated with beach holidays is well developed. The Demoskopika research institute[2] has calculated which Italian cities are most affected by tourists, with the top ten being: Rimini, Venice, Bolzano, Livorno, Naples, Milan, Trento, Rome, Verona, and Trieste.
And while previously the measures proposed by the authorities to “protect against tourists” were fragmentary and boiled down to initiatives by local administrations, in 2025 the Italian Ministry of Tourism developed methodological guidelines for managing tourist flows during the high season with the aim of coordinating the actions of individual municipalities and promoting alternative forms of tourism. In fact, these are the first attempts to combat mass tourism, which is destroying the country, and to introduce a more selective approach to choosing destinations.
Venice has introduced a mandatory “entry ticket” to the city – €5 for visitors who do not stay overnight; in Florence, a law prohibiting short-term rentals of apartments in the historic center will come into force in June 2025; In Sardinia, access to some beaches is regulated and only possible with advance booking.
Let’s see what happens next. Perhaps the traditional Italian “benvenuti in Italia” will soon sound less welcoming.
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