September 16, 2025 | 03:40 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Visitors to historical sites should familiarize themselves with the rules. For example, two tourists were recently arrested in Venice, Italy, after gondola rowers reported them for swimming in the Grand Canal. They were fined and expelled from the city.
They are a 35-year-old male tourist from England and his 25-year-old Romanian partner. The couple swam near the Accademia Bridge near St. Mark's Square before heading to the Rio San Vidal kiosk on Thursday, September 11, 2025. Gondola rowers at the kiosk witnessed them diving into the canal and reported them to the police.
Fined Punishment
According to reports from the Italian newspaper II Gazzettino and CNN, they had planned to stay in Venice for several more days. However, the police expelled them on the same day they arrived and banned them from entering the city for 48 hours. The authorities also imposed fines of 450 euros each (Rp8.6 million).
Security Council member Elisabetta Pesce appreciated the action of the gondola rowers who reported the incident. "Venice must be defended from those who disrespect it: protecting the city means ensuring decorum for residents and visitors who experience it with civility," she said, as quoted from People.
According to authorities, this is not the first time visitors have swum in the Grand Canal. Deputy Chief of the Venice Police, Gianni Franzoi, said there were 1,136 expulsion orders for incidents of insult and uncivilized behavior throughout the year. "About 10 of which were issued specifically for bathing," he said.
Last year, only seven expulsion orders were issued to visitors who dove and swam in the Grand Canal. The year before that, only 14 letters were issued.
Other Bans
Venice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so visitors are prohibited from swimming, paddleboarding, and canoeing in the city. Meanwhile, according to the city's website, Venice, visitors are prohibited from bathing, diving, or swimming in the canals to maintain the city's cleanliness, landscape, public safety, and hygiene.
Not only swimming, there are some prohibitions that tourists must be aware of, such as reported by Travel and Leisure Asia, such as eating or drinking while sitting on stairs, bridges, or monuments. A fine of 100 to 200 euros (Rp1.8 to Rp3.7 million) will be issued for this offense. Littering in public places carries a fine of 350 euros (Rp6.6 million).
Walking without clothes or only wearing swimwear in public, a fine of 250 euros (Rp4.7 million). The fines for cycling, camping, or feeding seagulls within the city vary.
Daily Entrance Fees
Starting in 2025, Venice will impose a daily access fee on tourists who do not stay in the city and only visit for a short time. The fee is 5 euros (Rp94,000) if paid at least four days before arrival and 10 euros (Rp189,000) if paid less than four days before arrival.
Arrival time is from 08:30 to 16:00 local time. In addition, access fees are only applied on certain days, 54 days during the peak season (April-July), especially on weekends and holidays. Tourists can be fined heavily for entering the city center without paying.
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