Why Venice has banned cruise ships
The Italian government has announced that large cruise ships will be banned from entering the Grand Canal in Venice’s historic centre.
“The aim is to reroute about one-third of the cruise ships already booked on Venice toward new berths by 2020,” said Italy’s infrastructure and transport minister Danilo Toninelli at a hearing on Wednesday, as reported by CNN.
“We’ve been talking about big ships for 15 years, and nothing has been done. These floating palaces will start to go elsewhere.”
Starting September, select liners will be redirected away from Guidecca Canal to Fusina and Lombardia terminals outside the historic centre, Toninelli said.
The decision came after the MSC Opera ship crashed into a dock in the city centre’s canal in June, injuring five people.
Residents have been protesting the presence of large cruise liners in the city since 2006, with concerns raised over environmental damage, water levels’ displacement and overtourism.
According to the Port Authority, an estimated 32,000 cruise ship passengers disembark in Venice every day from April to October. This number increases to nearly 500,000 in August, as per recent National Tourism Agency figures.
The cruise industry has supported the government’s call.
“The cruise industry has worked diligently with the Mayor of Venice, the Veneto Region, the Port Authority and many others to find viable solutions to allow larger cruise ships to access the Marittima berths without transiting the Giudecca Canal,” Adam Goldstein, chairman of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said.
“We are in agreement with the solution developed by Comitatone in 2017 to utilise the Vittorio Emanuele Canal as the best and most prudent means to move larger cruise ships away from the Giudecca.
“CLIA cruise line members welcome and will support the urgent implementation of this solution.”
A “tourism tax” will also come into effect next month as the Italian city begins implementing a daytime entrance fee of up to €10. Tourists staying overnight will be exempt as the fee is included in the hotel rate.