Venice uses mobile phones, surveillance cameras to track tourist movements

The hand of a woman taking a photo to a gondola in Venice
By Alexandra Coulton


Authorities in Venice have begun gathering mobile phone data to keep tabs on visitors.

Venitian officials are using mobile phone signals along with cameras and sensors to gather information on visitor numbers and movements during peak season, Lonely Planet reported.

The information gathered is said to help reduce problems associated with overtourism particularly during the carnival period from 8-15 February.

The outlet reported 34 cameras have been stationed on the city’s busiest streets to keep track of visitor numbers and determine if they are adults or children, as well as intercepting mobile phone data to determine where they have come from and how long they will stay in the city.

Around 30 million tourists pass through the city each year.

Tourism councillor Paola Mar told Italian media the new measures will help “predict what time pedestrians will arrive at certain critical point and divert them to another area in advance, so as not to clog or block pedestrian traffic”.

Venice has been cracking down on tourist behaviour for some time now, and is expected to roll out a new day-tripper tax which could be as high as $16 in July 2020.

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