Italy bans Cruise Ships from Venice
The Italian government on Tuesday announced its decision to ban all large cruise ships from entering the famous Venice lagoon which was also declared as a national monument, according to FleetMon.
It stated: “The decision is being termed as a measure to safeguard the endangered ecosystem and heritage of the city due to the adverse effects of mass tourism.
The cabinet’s approval of this major decision comes after a serious threat by UNESCO to blacklist Italy in case the country fails to ban the entry of cruise ships to its waters. Italy’s culture minister, Dario Franceschini, in his statement said, “The intervention could no longer be delayed.”
According to FleetMon, “A large cruise liner like MSC Sinfonica which called at the port of Venice in 2019, before the pandemic hit the cruise industry, will not be permitted to enter the Venice lagoon anymore.
“Bowing to the demands of a large majority of residents and environmentalists the ban for cruise ships to the canals of the world heritage site, weighing more than 25,000 tonnes comes into effect from 1st of August. The legislation also intends to provide compensation to cruise lines and their workers, whose businesses are likely to be hit the hardest.
“Many on the other hand believe that the decision may have severely negative impacts on the economy largely supported by the tourism industry. They believe that limiting the entry of ships might not be an effective measure to protect the fragile ecology and endangered heritage of the city.
“Alternatives for the entry of tourists have long been under scrutiny. Earlier this year legislation supporting the building of new docking points for large cruise ships just outside the famous lagoon has been passed. But for the time being, it suggested docking of cruise ships weighing more than 40,000 tonnes at the industrial port of Marghera, but the lack of infrastructure at the site flaws the entire solution.”
It added: “Italy’s decision emboldens safeguarding of the environment but can this outweigh the impact on the flatlining economy, something that should be closely observed.”
