Northeastern Italy’s ancient port city of Venice narrowly escaped addition to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in Danger during the World Heritage Committee’s 45th Session this week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In August, the United Nation’s cultural recommended adding Venice and its lagoon to its list of sites that are in danger of losing their UNESCO World Heritage protected status, based on experts’ observations of the many ways in which the famous sinking city’s “outstanding universal value” remains under “a growing and increasingly urgent threat.”
During a session meeting on Thursday, it seems that UN member states chose to overlook the warnings of environmentalists and other scientists regarding the impacts of climate change and gross overtourism when they voted against registering Venice’s on the list.
Rather, they praised current conservation efforts, despite having warned authorities only months ago that not enough was being done to protect the Floating City’s historic and cultural integrity. In particular, the committee applauded a new measure to combat overtourism by charging day-trippers a fee of €5 ($5.35) to enter Venice’s Old City during peak days. While it was originally supposed to begin enforcement in Summer 2022, the measure’s implementation was delayed and it’s now set to take effect Spring 2024.
The Italian culture ministry heartily welcomed the result and Mayor Luigi Brugnaro tweeted, “Great Victory at UNESCO…Venice is not at risk.” According to CNN, the mayor called efforts to add the city to the in-danger list “purely political”.
Crowds of travelers in St. Mark's Square, Venice, Italy (Source: iStock/ Getty Images Plus/ bluebeat76)
However, after announcing its decision, the World Heritage Committee recapitulated concerns about the deterioration of the city and its lagoon, reiterating that “further progress still needs to be made for proper conservation”. Italy has been given until December 2024 to present UNESCO with a detailed plan, to be discussed during the World Heritage Committee’s session in 2025.
This isn’t the first time Venice has been on the brink of losing its World Heritage status. Two years ago, the City of Canals similarly managed to sidestep inclusion on UNESCO’s imperiled sites list after the Italian government issued a ban on massive cruise ships entering the Giudecca Canal or the waters around St. Mark’s Square.
The Union of Concerned Scientists told AP News that the outcome of Thursday’s vote, “signals an alarming trend of nations not being held accountable for protecting some of the most iconic and irreplaceable natural and historic sites around the globe.” It pointed out that, even aside from threats created by mass tourism, Venice is, “increasingly vulnerable to severe flooding and water damage.”
Venice been in the headlines this year for some unflattering reasons, including multiple incidents of tourists behaving badly, and a bizarre incident in which some unidentified contaminant suddenly dyed the waters of the Grand Canal fluorescent green.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here.
Topics From This Article to Explore
