Skinny-dipping in a Venice canal cost these 2 tourists more than $6,600
Two Czech tourists really made a splash on Monday night when they decided to go for a little dip in the buff near the Piazza San Marco in Venice. According to CNN, they decided to do so because it was "a particularly warm evening." Police said the incident involved "two men, completely nude, intent on laughing and joking with each other, and trying to catch the attention of passersby."
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They were visiting Italy for a soccer match between Slavia Prague and Inter Milan — and ultimately, fined around 3,000 euros (about $3,320) each for "obscene behavior."
Officials were alerted to the behavior by people walking by the canal and, originally, thought they were in trouble. When they realized what was going on, they immediately made the naked tourists get dressed and brought them down to the station.
The city of Venice has really been cracking down on tourists behaving badly, following a string of incidents similar to this one. In 2018, Venice's mayor signed an ordinance to separate tourists from local residents, calling the policies “urgent measures to guarantee public safety, security and livability in the historic city of Venice.”
Last September, the city was considering a nightly ban on public alcohol consumption after 7 p.m., and earlier this year, it enforced a day fee on visitors.
In fact, Venice isn't the only Italian city trying to combat some of the ill effects of overtourism. This past summer, Rome enforced a slew of strict bans in an effort to combat some not-so-responsible tourist behavior.
Related: 8 mistakes tourists always make in Venice
If you are planning a trip to Venice (or anywhere in the world), you'll want to make sure you're on your best behavior. And whatever you do, just save the swimming for an actual pool.
