Italy is on the cusp of marking one of its busiest periods on record as it celebrates its Jubilee year – but a new rule to save a ‘dying’ city from overtourism is proving controversial.
The city council has announced that Florence will ban self-check-in keyboxes typically used by short-term holiday lets such as Airbnb, which act as a buffer between a host and their travelling guests.
And in 2025, as Rome and the Vatican City hosts its Jubilee or ‘Holy Year’ complete with a series of celebrations, yet more visitors are set to flock to the capital – to the tune of an estimated 35 million.
Italy in its entirety has welcomed an increasing number of visitors in recent years, with Rome experiencing the highest growth in foreign arrivals in 2024, with 5% more visitors than 2023.
In his view, Florence is ‘dying of uncontrolled tourism,’ and he hopes that the new rule will see the number of short-stay flats decrease from 15,000 to between 7,000 and 8,000.
