Venice on Thursday again escaped the tarnish of UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites in danger, drawing a victory cheer from the mayor but scorn from environmentalists and scientists alarmed by the impact of mass tourism and climate change on the storied lagoon city.
At a meeting in Saudi Arabia, member states disregarded expert findings that Venice’s “outstanding universal value” was under “a growing and increasingly urgent threat”.
Instead, they praised the city’s conservation efforts, in particular a last-minute pilot project approved two days ago that will make Venice the first city to charge entry. Venice similarly avoided joining the list of sites in danger two years ago after the Rome government announced a ban on big cruise ships past St. Mark’s Square and through the Giudecca canal.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro welcomed the decision as proof that “Venice is not at risk”, calling the experts’ recommendations ”misleading”. Civic groups, however, continue to emphasize the threat to Venice from mass tourism, which they say is transforming the city into a mere destination, depriving it of lifeblood as a thriving centre that would attract both residents and new businesses.
The much-ballyhooed pilot project, charging 5 euros (USD 5.30) to day-trippers on 30 high-traffic days next year, only reinforces a low-brow image of Venice, they said.
