After years of protests to protect the city’s environment and heritage, Italy has now banned cruise ships from the famous Venice Lagoon.
The Italian government finally made the decision official after UNESCO threatened to put the country on a blacklist for allowing cruise line ships into the city canals.
The ban will take effect on 1st August 2021 and covers all ships weighing more than 25,000 tonnes from the Giudecca Canal that leads past Piazza San Marco, the city’s most famous landmark.
Cruise companies will have to scrap Venice from their itineraries until the industrial port of Marghera is repurposed for passenger use. The government has called for a fast-track to the job, which would usually take around 6 months.
Meanwhile, a call for bids for the construction of a terminal equipped to take ships weighing more than 40,000 tonnes was published at the end of June.
Cruise trade body Clia said “The cruise industry has been supportive of a new approach for many years, so this is a major step forward.”
“Also, the government’s decision to appoint a special commissioner to fast-track the process is a welcome development. We now look forward to progress being made towards the provision of alternative docking arrangements in time for the 2022 season.”
