Venice will ban new trinket shops and fast-food vendors as it extends its “anti-kebab” rules.
The new rules to spruce up the historic centre are expected to be approved by the municipal assembly by the end of the month and would go into effect by summer. The ban will remain in place for at least three years.
The council resolution applies to areas of central Venice where visitor numbers are most intense and to buildings recognised as being of historic interest, extending existing provisions from 2017 which outlawed new kebab shops.
Sebastiano Costalonga, the councillor responsible for commerce, said the new rules may lead to some shop closures, but he hoped they would encourage property owners to reduce rents. “It is better to have lower profits but with an artisan who brings value to the city,” he said.
The council hopes that low-grade souvenir shops will be replaced by luxury fashion brands, bookshops, art galleries, antiques shops and traditional crafts in keeping with the city’s artistic heritage.
