Venice to Ban Large Cruise Ships in its Lagoon

The new restriction on ships and cruise liners weighing 25,000 tons or measuring 180 meters (590 feet) long was put into effect on August 1 in Venice, where the city’s Giudecca Canal flows through Piazza San Marco. 

For the safety of residents and visitors, only small passenger ferries and freight vessels are permitted to operate in the ancient city center of the lagoon city.

During the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, the United Nations agency, UNESCO, was considering adding Venice to its “World Heritage in Danger” “endangered” list. 

An RFI story indicates that the government has decided to bar huge ships from Venice’s fragile lagoon, which is “a World Heritage site certified by UNESCO.” 

UNESCO, concerned about the adverse effects of overtourism on ancient sites in the past, had already raised a worry about cruise activity and its effect on the city’s buildings and the fragile ecosystem of the lagoon.