Portofino tourists ‘lingering’ while taking selfies could be fined £242

The measures are in place to ‘avoid dangerous situations’

‘Anarchic chaos’ is being caused by people stopping to snap social media photos (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Tourists can now be fined for “lingering” to take selfies while visiting Portofino, Italy.

The new €275 (£242) fine is being implemented across two Instagram-famous areas within the popular Italian fishing village, which are now marked as red zones or “no waiting” areas.

Mayor of Portofino, Matteo Viacava, has said tourists who pause to take photos are causing “anarchic chaos”, including continuous traffic jams and congested pavements.

The small village, which is situated on the Italian Riviera to the south east of Genoa, has a population of just over 500, yet during the tourist season thousands descend to see its brightly coloured houses and picturesque harbour.

It is a travel spot renowned for being a social media backdrop, and the hashtag #portofino has amassed 1.2 million posts on Instagram.

In a statement shared with The Times, Mr Viacava said: “The objective is not to make the place more exclusive but to allow everyone to enjoy our beauty.

“We want to avoid dangerous situations caused by overcrowding.”

The village has celebrity appeal too, and famous names seen in Portofino include the Kardashian sisters, Beyoncé, Cher and Mariah Carey.

There’s also a 16th century fortress and historic museum nearby, and it can be accessed by boat or land.

The fine was introduced during the Easter weekend and applies from every morning until 6pm. These rules will be in place until 15 October when the peak tourist season ends.

This measure is the latest in a series of moves by Italian officials to protect cultural sites and historical monuments throughout the country.

It was recently announced that Italy plans to charge tourists who damage monuments up to £52,000.

In March an American tourist received an immediate fine for parking in the middle of a famous Florence plaza, while last year, a tourist was fined £390 for eating gelato on the edge of a fountain in Rome.