Tourism is a mainstay of Venice’s economy, but the iconic canal city’s municipal government says you can have too much of a good thing.

Starting in June, new limits will restrict tour groups to just 25 people – roughly half the capacity of a typical bus – as well as banning guides’ loudspeakers “which can generate confusion and disturbances”.

The city official charged with security, Elisabetta Pesce, said the policies were aimed at improving the movement of groups through Venice’s historic centre as well as the heavily visited islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.

The city previously announced plans to test a new day-tripper fee this year. The five euros ($A8.1) per person fee will be applied on 29 peak days between April and mid-July, including most weekends. It is intended to regulate crowds, encourage longer visits and improve the quality of life for Venice residents.

The UN cultural agency cited tourism’s impact on the fragile lagoon city as a major factor in it twice considering placing Venice on UNESCO’s list of heritage sites in danger.

The city escaped the first time by limiting the arrival of large cruise ships through the Giudecca Canal and again in September when it announced the roll-out of the day-tripper charge, which had been delayed when tourism declined during the COVID-19 pandemic.

-AAP