Bruges to put up rules to control the influx of tourists

News reports suggest that the old city of Bruges is now feeling the burden of overcrowding. The European city is soon going to make rules that would restrict tourism. The Belgian city has been receiving a large number of tourists lately, and the Mayor fears that the city is becoming more like Disneyland.
The Mayor of Bruges is now looking for ways to control the crowd in Burges. The city is not going to advertise or promote day trips, and hence, advertising campaigns in cities such as Brussels and Paris will end. Authorities are also trying to cut back the number of cruise ships that are allowed at the Zeebrugge port to dock. The Zeebrugge port can currently dock five cruise ships at a time; however, this number is set to decrease to two per day in the coming days. Moreover, cruise ships will need to dock during the weekdays instead of weekends to help spread the crowd.

The city of Bruges received 8.3 million tourists last year, which is a surge from 90000 visitors in the previous year. Six million of these visitors were just day-trippers, who spend only about 2-3 hours in the city. This is causing worry among the city authorities that it is fast becoming a sort of theme park.
The medieval city of Bruges is a star attraction of Belgium, with a rich history. It is one of the best-preserved cities of Europe; the Historic Centre of Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also home to the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which has a venerated relic of the blood of Christ.

The city has been immortalised on screen by director Martin McDonagh in his 2008 film In Bruges, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.