Italy Bans Cruise Ships from Venice Lagoon

Italy Bans Cruise Ships from Venice Lagoon
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Italy Bans Cruise Ships from Venice Lagoon

From August 1, 2021, cruise ships and vessels weighing more than 25,000 tonnes will be banned from entering the Venetian lagoon.

An alternative route for cruise liners

The Italian government announced the ban late on Tuesday, July 13, calling it "an important step for the safeguarding of the Venetian lagoon." Instead of sailing past St Mark's Square, and up the narrow Giudecca Canal, docking in the city-centre port, from August onwards, all cruise ships weighing more than 25,000 tonnes will dock at the industrial port of Marghera. The government said that a maximum of five berths will be created at Marghera, at a cost of €157 million/$185 million.

Demands of residents and culture bodies

Large cruise ships are considered one of the main factors that pollute and threaten the stability of the buildings and fragile ecosystem of Venice. Residents have been urging governments for many years to ban large cruise ships and other big vessels from passing through the lagoon and docking not far from the famed St. Mark's Square.

In June 2021, UNESCO's World Heritage Centre also recommended that the city should be added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage in Danger. The new law is believed to protect the "environmental, artistic and cultural heritage of Venice," said the government in a statement.

Hanh Dinh
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