Overrun with tourists: Venice transformed — at risk of losing UNESCO World Heritage status

▲ Waterborne Venice. (Photo / Wikipedia)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Venice, the Italian water city designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, has been reported by foreign media that after a one-week investigation, UNESCO found that the overwhelming tourism industry and cruise ships have caused severe ecological damage to the area. Without significant improvements, Venice may be removed from the World Heritage list.

According to foreign media reports, UNESCO sent a team to investigate Venice for a full week in October 2015 and produced a 78-page report. The report pointed out that nearly 30 million tourists visited Venice within a year, and 700 cruise ships passed through, causing serious ecological damage and environmental pollution. The excessive number of tourists has also led to an overabundance of tourist hotels in Venice, while the large number of vessels has created chaotic traffic in the city’s canals. Canal expansion projects have also disrupted the ecological balance of Lake o_.

In response, UNESCO has demanded that the Venetian government propose countermeasures by February 2017; otherwise, Venice may be removed from the World Heritage list.