In Rome, a tourist scaled the baroque masterpiece that is the Trevi Fountain to fill up her water bottle just months after a British man carved his and his girlfriends' initials into the Colosseum, an ancient amphitheater that has stood for millenia.
In Venice, a British tourist ignored warnings from onlookers before jumping from five stories high and belly-flopping into one of the city's UNESCO-protected canals.
In Paris, two drunk Americans were found sleeping atop the iconic Eiffel Tower. Just days later, a man climbed to the peak of the tower and jumped off, deploying a parachute.
These incidents have prompted European officials to ask that tourists be held accountable for their bad behavior. Daniela Santanchè, Italy's tourism minister, said it's time for governments to crack down.
"These tourists are also vandals, because they have no respect for our cultural heritage, which belongs not just to Italy, but to the whole world," Santanchè said. "We've introduced a bill with a very simple concept: You break it, you pay for it."
In April, the city of Amsterdam issued a stern warning to British tourists: "Coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away."
The availability of cannabis and recreational sex has made it a party hotspot for foreign visitors. Officials have also put limits on those activities in response to complaints from residents.
Some countries have taken more creative measures. In Spain, locals have taken to posting signs at the beach warning tourists of fake dangers like jellyfish and falling rocks.
Part of the rise in bad behavior is being attributed to a rise in tourism. There are 55% more tourists in Europe from the U.S. alone compared to last summer.
Lucrezia Miseri, a Ph.D. student in Rome, said the massive influx and terrible behavior is making it hard to live in the city.
"I feel immense rage ... It's really unfortunate," she said. "You cannot just come and do whatever you want."
Chris Livesay is a CBS News foreign correspondent based in Rome.
Twitter2025-05-07 17:542050 view
2025-05-07 17:23184 view
2025-05-07 17:132909 view
2025-05-07 15:4667 view
2025-05-07 15:291009 view
2025-05-07 15:262081 view
Country music singer Charley Crockett was born and raised in Texas, grew up in a single-wide trailer
The products featured in this article are from brands available in NBCUniversal Checkout. E! makes a
On Sunday’s episode of The Excerpt podcast: Robin Williams was an Oscar-winning actor and comedian b