Larger ships, weighing 100,000 tonnes or more, will have to use the less glamorous industrial port of Marghera, which is a long way from Venice’s famous Grand Canal.
Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro said the plan answered both the demands of residents, tourism businesses and conservation groups concerned about damage to the city’s shallow lagoon and canals.
“We want it to be clear to UNESCO and the whole world that we have a solution,” he said after the meeting of the governmental committee.
“This takes into account all the jobs created by the cruise industry, which we absolutely couldn’t afford to lose, and we can start to work seriously on planning cruises.”
Work needs to be done on the new route before it is ready to take large cruise ships, but this is expected to be complete within four years.
