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Florence is one of the most visited cities in Italy.
In a bid to deal with overtourism, Florence’s local government is understood to have come up with an order instructing owners of holiday rental properties to remove self-check-in key boxes by February 25. It has been learnt that the move is seen as an endeavour to control the thriving short-term rental market and tackle various concerns raised by the residents and business owners.
Overtourism is a phenomenon that causes an excessive surge of people at a particular famous spot building up pressure on the local communities and infrastructure. A report published by news agency Reuters claimed that fines of up to 400 euros ($417.20) will be pressed against owners who fail to comply with the order, as per the city council’s decision. Needless to say, the move has triggered a huge uproar and resulted in a series of serious discussions.
Following this, a lot has been said and written about multiple details about the self-check-in key boxes. These key boxes are primarily used by short-term rental property platforms and enable visitors or tourists to enter the said properties without even having to meet the hosts in person. These key boxes do offer benefits to both guests and owners but many fear that it may result in security threats. It is even perceived that excessive use of the self-check-in key boxes may also lead to aesthetic pollution in the city of Florence, the Italian Renaissance city.
“Next week we will go … to check where the ban on keyboxes is not respected, and then we will remove them,” Florence Mayor Sara Funaro told a local television channel on Wednesday, as per Reuters.
But Florence is not the only city that is facing such an issue. Reuters stated that other Italian travel spots like Rome and Venice also took measured steps to curb tourist numbers. The move comes after locals protested against the lack of affordable accommodation.
Tourism is known to promote international harmony and it offers an exchange of cultures. But at the same time, it has to be noted that a proper and calculated strategy is needed to deal with the threats posed by the issue of over-tourism. These steps may include actions such as regulation and developing awareness amongst the tourists to defend the local heritage.
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