Amassing in excess of 20 million tourists each year, Venice is not only one of the world’s most widely visited cities, it’s also one of the most beautiful. Whether you’re taking a romantic boat trip along the stunning waterways, staying in one of many luxurious hotels, or taking in views of the truly awe-inspiring infrastructure such as in St Mark’s Square, you’re guaranteed to have your breath taken away as you explore the city proudly known as La Serenissima, or ‘the most serene’. However, recent years have seen over-tourism becoming a huge issue in Venice, as the number of tourists visiting the city has long outweighed the number of permanent residents. Because of this, there is now a clear need for sustainability to take centre stage in Venice. Otherwise, the increasingly negative impact on one of Italy’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites will become ever more apparent as the years go by.
The challenges of over-tourism in Venice
With its historic buildings and picturesque canals, it’s no wonder that Venice is one of the most cherished cities in the world. Built on more than 100 small islands, it’s a city that undoubtedly deserves a place on your bucket list. However, a large influx in short-term visitors has gradually taken its toll on this once thriving location, with fewer and fewer permanent residents now calling the city home. To put things into perspective, the number of permanent residents now stands at just 50,000 people – in stark contrast to the city’s population of over 120,000 less than 30 years previous. High water surrounding Venice has already posed a threat for a number of years, with flooding in the city an all-too regular occurrence. The issue of over-tourism has only made matters worse, with overcrowded canals and walkways along with excessive queues to visitor attractions placing great strain on the city’s resources. Falling costs of aviation and an increase in the popularity of cruises are likely to be the reasons why this famous lagoon city has fallen victim to over-tourism in the last few decades. Considering these cruise ships often bring in more than 4,000 tourists, this places emphasis on just how many people can be in the city at any one time, which inevitably stretches Venice to its limits.What steps are being taken to achieve sustainable tourism in Venice?
In recent years, the Italian government has recognized the need for drastic action to be taken in order to preserve Venice for local residents and promote sustainable tourism within the city. But, the huge influx of day-trippers has made this a task that is far easier said than done, with only one fifth of tourists choosing to spend the night. In an effort to combat this, a ban on cruise ships of 100,000 tonnes or more entering the Grand Canal was proposed by the Italian government in 2017, a move which was welcomed by local residents who have regularly protested about high tourist numbers in Venice. Although it’s expected to take around four years for the new route and port at nearby industrial town Marghera to be ready, it’s a step in the right direction as Venice aims to preserve its culture and identity. In addition to the cruise ship ban, the council of Venice introduced a controversial new visitor’s tax in May 2019 as part of the annual budget. This was brought into practice to help keep the city as clean as possible, as well as to help with the high cost of maintaining Venice’s public buildings. With prices ranging between €3 and €10 depending on the amount of traffic entering the city, it remains to be seen whether this will have an impact on tourist numbers. However, a fine of up to €450 should hopefully deter anyone from flouting the new regulations.