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Cruise lines assess impact of Venice decision
Cruise lines are calculating the impact of a decision by the Italian government to limit visits to Venice to help protect the city’s fragile lagoon.
Prime Minister Enrico Letta and his senior officials have confirmed plans to cut cruise visits by 20% from January and to ban ships weighing more than 96,000 tonnes from the centre of the historic city from November 2014.
Italy has also announced plans to open up a new canal to the city, which would provide an alternative route for large vessels.
Currently, cruise ships pass within 1,000 feet of St Mark’s Square.
The Mayor of Venice, Giorgio Orsoni, said in a statement: “We’ve had enough of these mega cruise ships just metres away from San Marco; from now on there will be clear limits on the size of ships that can enter Venice.”
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said it viewed the outcome of the meeting as a "positive on-going commitment of the representatives of the Italian Institutions to find a sustainable and long term solution for the city of Venice".
"This goal is shared by the cruise industry," it said in a statement.
"We are in the process of determining the impact of the decision, and any estimation or evaluation at this time is premature.
“Venice is consistently rated as the number one European cruise destination for our industry and we look forward to further strengthening our role as a key contributor to the economic vitality of Venice.”
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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