Florence's Tourism Chief Says Short-Term Rental Crackdown Is Part of Overtourism Fight

Florence, Italy's Renaissance jewel, has become the country's first city to block new short-term rentals in its historic center, escalating a growing European pushback against the surge in tourism-focused properties.

"Short-term rentals have had a very significant impact on the cost and availability of local housing," Jacopo Vicini, Florence's councilor for economic development and tourism, said in an interview with Skift. "When you remove long-term residents, you remove the customers for the small shops and businesses in the immediate neighborhood."

The ban came as short-term rentals in Florence's UNESCO-protected zone have skyrocketed more than 700% since 2019, reaching 12,250 properties in just five square kilometers, according to city data.

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