The Save Florence activist group
campaigning against over-tourism and building speculation in the
Tuscan capital on Wednesday staged a flashmob against a summit
of Group of Seven tourism ministers being held there.
Wearing helmets and throwing smoke bombs, the group displayed
banners reading 'Ongoing speculation' and 'Florence is dying of
wild tourism and speculation''.
"It's our non-welcome to the seven greats of the planet", said
the organizers.
"We know well in Florence the effects of tourism as a driver of
economic growth. Overtourism has led to an uncontrolled
expansion of short-term rentals, the surge in real estate and
rental costs, the sell-off of public assets", said Chiara
Giunti, a member of the organising committee.
The banner 'Speculation in progress' will accompany other
initiatives of Salviamo Firenze per viverci (Let's Save Florence
To Live There) after a "blitz" at the weekend when campaigners
put stickers on the keyboxes of the apartments intended for
tourist rentals.
"These stickers have worked miracles, and what had been at a
standstill for years has had a huge acceleration", said Massimo
Torelli, in reference to a resolution of the city council at
Palazzo Vecchio council that on Tuesday banned keyboxes on the
facades of buildings in the central UNESCO listed area.
"However, they have not understood that there is not only a
UNESCO area (to be protected) and then the rest of Florence
(that is not to be safeguarded).
"These restrictions must apply to the entire city. "The paradigm
must change, Florence cannot support this flow of tourists and
the real estate speculation that former mayor (Dario) Nardella
has attracted to this city in the last decade.
"Every city," concluded Torelli in reply to Tourism Minister
Daniela Santanchè who defined overtourism as a 'non-problem',
"must be able to support a tolerable number of tourists along
with residents and those who work there".
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