VENICE GONDOLA CAPSIZES AFTER TOURISTS KEEP TAKING SELFIES AND REFUSE TO SIT DOWN
A group of tourists fell into a cold Venetian canal after their gondola flipped over while they were standing to take selfies.
The group of five Chinese visitors were shifting around the boat to pose for photos in front of famous landmarks despite warnings from the the gondolier to sit down and remain still while he attempted to manoeuvre under a low bridge.
The boat ultimately capsized resulting in all five tourists, including the gondolier , ending up in the water.
In a video posted to TikTok , the tourists can be seen clinging on to the boat.
An Instagram page by the name Venezia Non è Disneyland (Venice Is Not Disneyland), an account created by Venetians documenting similar tourist incidents, said the visitors were brought to safety and provided with “hospitality and warmth” in the nearby La Fenice theatre.
No injuries were reported during Sunday’s incident, but one of the tourists lost their cellular phone.
In 2022, Venetian mayor Luigi Brugnaro called out two tourists who were caught riding motorized surfboards through the Grand Canal saying they made a mockery of Venice.
“Venice is NOT Disneyland,” he captioned a video of the duo passing under a bridge.
The tourists were eventually each fined €1,500 according to La Nuova di Venezia e Mestre, and were expelled from the city.
Next year, Venice will begin implementing a €5 fee for day-trippers in an effort to control the influx of tourists, the city’s tourism chief Simone Venturini announced in September.
The strategy aims to find “a new balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice and those who visit the city,” Venturini said.
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2023-12-07T23:07:55Z dg43tfdfdgfd