Venice and Florence demand a halt to Airbnb

Airbnbs in Venice and Florence have grown to such an extent that rising rents have driven residents out of town. Now the mayors of the city are demanding limits to short-term rentals.

(CNN) — Tourists sprawled over sidewalks, garbage piled up in the streets, and thousands-strong lines to enter museums. Overtourism feels a long time ago now, but the after effects are still being felt in Italian cities, where locals have been squeezed out by Airbnbs, businesses have been drowned out by souvenir shops, and whole economies have been hijacked by tourism, and then hung out to dry. But while destinations flex their marketing budgets for post-pandemic trips, and countries and continents start to put together vaccine passport plans, two of Europe's cities that were hardest hit by overtourism have put together a manifesto for the tourism of the future. Florence and Venice's joint "Decalogo" -- literally a list of Ten Commandments -- has been sent to the Italian government. It outlines 10 things the authorities of the two cities want to see happen as thoughts turn towards the return of travel.