Ali Coulton
21 Jul
2021
Italy will officially ban large cruise ships from Venice next month to avoid getting “blacklisted” by the United Nations.
The Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini announced the decision on 13 July, declaring the city’s waterways a “national monument”.
The ban will apply to ships larger than 25,000 tonnes, with a waterline hull length of 180 metres or an aerial draft exceeding 35 metres, meaning large yachts may also be excluded from the tourism hotspot.
It applies to Saint Mark’s Square basin and the Giudecca Canal.
The announcement coincided with the Extended 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, which planned to discuss the conservation of the historic city.