A group of tourists in Venice capsized their gondola after repeatedly being asked to “sit down” and stop taking selfies.
The gondolier yelled at them to stop, however the tourists ignored him, continuing to move around the boat and pose for photos.
However, as too much weight accumulated on one side, the boat turned over and tipped all of the tourists into the cold canal water.
The gondolier required the weight to be evenly distributed as attempted a difficult manoeuvre under a bridge close to St Mark’s Square.
The gondola tipped over and the tourists fell into the canal
Some of those who fell into the water clung onto a passing boat until they were brought to safety.
The gondolier, who was miraculously unscathed, helped one tourist to shore before diving back in to rescue the others from the canal.
The group of tourists from China’s reckless selfie-taking was caught on camera and shared across different social media platforms.
A social media account called Venezia Non e Disneyland (Venice is not Disneyland), which chronicles the mishaps of tourists, shared that the group had all been brought to safety and found “hospitality and warmth” from the nearby La Fenice theatre.
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The page’s founders spoke in a 2021 interview about tourists often swimming in the canals, which creates an environment that is “unsafe and dirty”.
The tax, which costs €5 (around £4.29) per day and will be payable to all over the age of 14, will be introduced in a bid to help control tourism in Venice.
The mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro said: “Our attempt is to make a more liveable city.”
The boat tipped over after the gondolier asked them to stop posing for photos
He added it is a “first-of-its-kind experiment” to regulate tourist flow.
In 2024, the 30-day trial will begin, mainly targeting holidaymakers visiting during the holidays.
Airbnb and hotel stayers will not be affected by the move, tourism chief Simone Venturini said.
In 2021, the city also banned cruise ships amid concerns about pollution and eroding Venice’s foundations.
