Venice Avoids Designation as A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Danger After Cruise Ship Ban

Venice has avoided being places on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites in danger after the committee received criticism from preservation groups

Venice has avoided being places on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites in danger after the committee received criticism from preservation groups.

The committee has now asked Italy to submit an update on the efforts to protect Venice from excessive tourism, population decline and other issues by December 2022.

The case will then be looked at again at a meeting in 2023.

This month, the Italian government announced it would be rerouting cruise ships from the historic centre to an industrial port starting August 1. The port is still within the Venice lagoon.

The ships’ passage through St Mark’s Basin and the Giudecca Canal, which resumed recently after a long pandemic pause, was among the reasons Unesco had cited for listing Venice’s status as at risk.

Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said: “Now, the global attention on Venice must remain high, and it is everyone’s duty to work for the protection of the lagoon and identify a sustainable development path for this unique reality.”

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