Anger at tourists swimming in Venice’s Grand Canal as Italy’s borders reopen

TWO tourists, thought to be from Germany, have provoked outrage in Venice has they took a dip in the city’s iconic Grand Canal.

On the first day of Italy’s reopened borders, the two men were witnessed jumping into the canal and swimming beneath the Rialto Bridge with the rest of their family looking on.

Finalmente cominciano ad arrivare i primi "turisti"… #venezia #degrado pic.twitter.com/4AtxqoXwOk

— Ste (@ste_636) June 3, 2020

An onlooking Venetian reportedly told the two men that swimming in Venice’s canals is forbidden, but they responded. “Who are you to tell us?” and continued with their stunt.

The two tourists climbed out of the water beyond the Rialto Bridge, and were intercepted by a military patrol who ordered them to get dressed.

Venice has seen unprecedented quiet and tranquility under coronavirus lockdown and many residents have been hoping that the type of tourism arriving in the city post-Covid will be different.

Unfortunately, it seems Venice’s battle with unruly and disrespectful tourism is not over.

With Italy’s borders reopened to the Schengen Zone and the UK on June 3, Venice is bracing itself for an influx of visitors.

While the city’s economy is reliant on tourism and is now in desperate need of a boost, Venetians are urging authorities to avoid returning to the levels of unsustainable tourism the city experienced before coronavirus lockdown.