UNESCO suggests adding Venice to its World Heritage in Danger list

As Venice grapples with the challenges of mass tourism, recent post-pandemic statistics reveal a troubling trend with no signs of improvement, prompting UNESCO to issue yet another warning.

The World Heritage Committee, which has recognized “Venice and its Lagoon” as a World Heritage site since 1987, has prepared a resolution to include the city on its World Heritage in Danger list, set for a vote in September.

The committee cautioned against “irreversible changes” affecting the city and its lagoon, attributing this decline to human activities, climate change, and the pressure of mass tourism.

It noted that Italy has fallen short in its efforts to protect the region, pointing to a “lack of substantial progress in tackling these complex challenges.”

Addressing overtourism

The issue of overtourism in Venice is widely recognized, with approximately 30 million tourists visiting each year in a city with fewer than 50,000 residents. As the economy shifts increasingly towards tourism, locals are gradually leaving, exacerbating the housing crisis caused by the proliferation of Airbnbs. A proposed tax on day visitors, suggested back in 2019, has yet to be implemented.

Although cruise ships were prohibited from navigating through the city center in 2021, they are still permitted to dock in the lagoon, leaving the ecological harm caused by these vessels sailing through the shallow lagoon waters unaddressed.

Unesco, which collaborates with the Italian government instead of the Venetian authorities directly, has indicated that there has been a “lack of significant progress” and “no strategic vision” in addressing the urgent issues, describing the proposed measures as “insufficient.”

The committee expresses hope that including Venice on the list will finally stimulate meaningful change. If added, the city will maintain its original World Heritage designation as well.

Conveying a message to the world

Melissa Conn, director of the Venice office at Save Venice, a non-profit focused on restoring and preserving the city’s artworks, concurred. She noted, “This isn’t about a right or wrong decision; it’s a necessary statement to emphasize the delicate nature of Venice and its artistic heritage,” she shared with Dinogo Planet.

“In the past two years, the city and national government have made significant progress in protecting Venice, including the activation of the MOSE flood barriers and new regulations for cruise ship passage in Bacino San Marco [through the city center]. There are no simple solutions, and addressing Venice’s challenges will always need to be a priority for future administrations.”

“Venice must hold on to hope.”

Valeria Duflot, co-founder of Venezia Autentica, which advocates for sustainable tourism in Venice, expressed her support for including the lagoon on the list.

She emphasized that it would “send a powerful message to the world…that tourism and economic activities driven by growth can undermine the social and economic fabric of our cities and communities.”

“It would also highlight the proven connection between travel and tourism and climate change,” she continued.

“What’s unfolding in Venice is likely to occur in any tourist destination if we don’t change our mindsets and practices that prioritize extractive growth over the wellbeing of places, people, and their values. It’s time for all of us to raise our standards.”

Repeat offender

This isn’t the first occasion the lagoon city has faced the threat of being added to the “in danger” list. In 2014, Italy was given a two-year warning to address the issues in the city. A draft resolution in 2021 to place Venice on the endangered list ultimately failed, citing a “lack of comprehensive vision and low management efficiency.”

If added, Venice will join two other European cities on the list. Vienna’s historic center was added in 2017, while Odesa in Ukraine was included in 2023 due to ongoing Russian attacks.

A representative from the Venice city council stated that they will 'thoroughly review the proposed decision... and will consult with the government, the State Party with which Unesco engages,'