by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:07 AM ET, Wed July 14, 2021
Government officials in Italy announced Tuesday that it had banned cruise ships from a key Venice lagoon as part of a larger effort to protect the area's ecosystem and heritage, starting on August 1.
According to Reuters.com, Italy made the decision to ban large vessels from the city after representatives from the United Nations' culture organization UNESCO threatened to put Venice on a blacklist for not banning cruise ships.
When the new rules go into effect in August, ships weighing more than 27,000 tons will no longer be permitted in the shallow Giudecca Canal that leads past Piazza San Marco. A statement from the culture ministry said impacted cruise lines and employees would be compensated.
"I am proud of a commitment that had been honored," Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said.
The move comes after years of protests from locals and pressure from the international community to protect the city's buildings and fragile ecosystem. Port authorities and tour operators continue to maintain that Venice needs the cruise industry.
The new protocols will only allow small passenger ferries and goods vessels to sail through the Giudecca Canal, a move Italian director of the International Cruise Industry Trade Association (CLIA) Francesco Galietti called a "major step forward."
In June, MSC Orchestra became the first cruise ship to make the passage through Venice's famous canal since the start of the pandemic, despite pleas from locals and government officials to reroute larger vessels due to safety and environmental concerns.
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