Venice has been on UNESCO’s heritage list since 1987, but the UN body recently issued a warning about the need for “more sustainable tourism management,” recommending that Venice be added to its endangered list in order to avoid being designated as a world heritage site in peril by UNESCO, just weeks after Italy banned large cruise ships from sailing into the city centre.
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Fuzhou, China, cited Italy’s recent ban and gave the Italian government until December to report on efforts to preserve the city’s ecosystem and heritage, but stressed that “attention on Venice must remain high,” implying the need to identify a “sustainable development path.”
Cruise ships cruising through St Mark’s Square have been causing enormous waves that have weakened the city’s foundations and harmed the lagoon’s fragile ecosystem for years, according to campaigners.
As of August 1, the largest ships will be prohibited from accessing San Marco Basin, San Marco Canal, and Giudecca Canal, government said.
They will be diverted to the industrial port of Marghera, while smaller cruise ships carrying up to 200 passengers would be able to continue to the city’s centre.