I thoroughly agree, having been on a ship that berthed just a block down from St. Marks Square for two days, I worried about the shipâs impact on the piers, pilings, and buildings. Mooring there is totally unnecessary. Should I go back, I would certainly be willing to take additional transportation if it negatively affects any world heritage or important site.
Although I am guilty of You arenât in traffic, you are traffic," and I understand the desire to bring tourism to a location, there has to be a happy medium when it comes to the number of ships allow to moor in one place. I cancelled a cruise this summer when I discovered on a ship schedule that there were going to be SEVEN ships moored in Santorini and Mykonos on the day of our arrival in those ports. Thatâs an onslaught of 20,000 people on those two small island! That crush of that much humanity just has to be too impactful on the hardscape, landscape, and locals.
Tips for cruising popular destinations:
Look for cruises with late departures or double night stays in places like Venice that are overrun during the day.
Check port schedules for the places you love most and chose cruises that will have few ships moored on departure days.
Tender early and tender late, which usually means exploring on your own or skipping the cruise lineâs excursions (which tend to be more expensive, anyway). Consider going back to the ship for a siesta and lunch when the crowds are at their max. D
If you possibly can, see the popular attractions at night. Itâs not just that the crowds are lighter; the ambiance is simply lovelier.
The sea level is rising rapidly. Flooding is becoming more frequent and more extreme.
With each inundation of seawater, more salt impregnates the cityâs historic buildings.
As it crystallises, it rips the bricks, mortar and stone to shreds. The city is crumbling. Veniceâs very existence is hanging in the balance.
Can scientists and engineers find ways to protect this unique jewel of architecture, beauty and culture before itâs too late?
Could the answer lie with a multi-billion dollar flood defence barrier? Or do Venetians need help from an ally who has helped their city for hundreds of years - nature?
In âSaving Venice,â PBS show follows efforts to save âFloating Cityâ
âNova: Saving Venice,â on PBS stations Sept. 28, looks at recent â and controversial â attempts to fortify the city against flooding. The most famous one, the MOSE project, uses high-tech flood gates that rise from fixed places in the lagoon during high tide and inclement events, forming a barrier against excess water.
MOSE has been plagued by everything from budget woes to corruption accusations to anger from environmental groups that claim the flood barriers, which cost billions of dollars, disturb the native habitat of local birds.
The massive, years-long project faced its first big test in 2020. It worked, but weeks later officials miscalculated and didnât activate the system, flooding the city and raising even more questions about how, and even whether, to stop the tide.
But the documentary doesnât just focus on MOSE. Instead, it looks at other efforts to mitigate floods in the city, from the hunt for the reasons for the erosion beneath the city thatâs causing its sinking to efforts to protect species that live in the lagoon.
A fascinating documentary that covers many of the rarely publicised efforts to protect and save the city âŠ
The iconic Italian city is at risk of âirreversibleâ damage from overwhelming tourism, overdevelopment and rising sea levels due to climate change, according to a report from Unesco. The agency aims to encourage the better preservation of the site for future.
A spokesperson for the Venice municipality said they will âcarefully readâ the proposal, Reuters reports. They added it will then be discussed with the Italian government.
The Unesco report blames the Italian authorities for a âlack of strategic visionâ to solve the problems faced by one of Italyâs most picturesque cities. It is a blow for authorities, who are accused of failing to protect the historic city and surrounding lagoon.
The inclusion of Venice in the danger list had already been proposed by Unesco two years ago, but it was averted at the last minute due to some emergency measures adopted by the Italian government.
In particular, one of those measures was the decision to ban large ships - such as cruise ships - in the San Marco Canal, as well as the promise to launch an ambitious conservation plan for the city.
The ban on large ships is being enforced - even though Unesco says it should be extended to other models of boats which are very polluting. But the plan to save Venice was never implemented, and has remained a mirage.
So, despite the efforts of âtechniciansâ, Venice may yet sink due to the lack of response from the âadministratorsâ
Venice is to ban loudspeakers and tourist groups of more than 25 people, in a bid to ease the impact of mass tourism on the Italian city. The new rules will come into effect from June, the city said in a statement.
Over-tourism is widely recognised as an urgent issue for the canal city, one of the most visited places in Europe. In September, Venice approved the trial of a âŹ5 (ÂŁ4.30; $5.35) fee for daily visitors.
Elisabetta Pesce, the official with responsibility for the cityâs security, said the latest policies are âaimed at improving the management of groups organised in the historic centreâ.
The city is just 7.6 sq km (2.7 sq miles) in size but it hosted almost 13 million tourists in 2019, according to the Italian national statistics institute. Numbers of visitors are expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels in the coming years.
Small steps which are tactical and not strategic ⊠Venice will continue to rot and sink âŠ
