The MSC Orchestra was received by protesters who arrived back in Venice (@ CQIX / Twiter)
The controversy surrounding large cruise lines sailing through the heart of Venice and docking in the historic city has been renewed with news that UNESCO, the United Nations World Heritage Organization, is considering adding Venice to its list of treasures in danger. The renewed call for an immediate ban on all major cruise lines came less than three weeks after the first cruise ship docked in the city in more than a year and a half.
UNESCO has fueled the debate about necessary measures to save the city, which is increasingly overwhelmed by rising sea water. UNESCO said the city’s fate could be in danger if officials don’t take immediate action, and said it would consider a proposal at its upcoming meeting in the second half of July. In particular, they highlighted the perception that cruise ships contribute to the flooding and increase the threats to the city on the lagoon. UNESCO is calling for a long-term solution that will immediately and permanently prevent large cruise ships from entering the canals.
After the decision @UNESCO to see the danger today #Venezia Registered on the list of cultural heritage in danger in July, we must take another step and immediately ban the passage of large ships in the Giudecca Canal pic.twitter.com/tc1i5qYHdn
– Dario Franceschini (@dariofrance) June 21, 2021
Italy’s Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini, responded to the news reports on UNESCO’s impending action, saying that immediate action was needed. He admitted that rumors of UNESCO’s deliberations had been circulating for some time, but said the measures would pose a serious problem for Italy.
Other politicians and Venetian officials replied to the minister that the failure was directly with the government. They accused the national government of neglecting for far too long. Others said it was Venice itself that failed to take action to renew critical initiatives.
In March, before the cruise industry resumed operations, the Italian government welcomed the passage of new laws that would result in a permanent solution. The initiative called for a long-term study to be started to create a new port for the large cruise ships that would keep them away from the canals but still provide an accessible place for tourists to reach the historic city. In the meantime, the legislature stipulated that large cruise ships would have to divert to the industrial port of Marghera, just a few kilometers away. While still in the lagoon, the alternative port would prevent ships from sailing through the heart of Venice on the famous Giudecca Canal.
However, a closer examination of the efforts revealed that Marghera could not accommodate the large cruise ships without renewing the infrastructure. The access to the new terminal must be dredged for the cruise ships, the existing piers must be extended and a terminal building must be created. According to the latest estimates, it will be a year before Marghera is ready to accommodate the cruise ships. Then the plan is to ban cruise ships longer than 820 feet from the Giudecca Canal. It is estimated that up to three quarters of cruise traffic from Venice would be eliminated.
MSC Orchestra first cruise ship in Venice since over a year. #Cruise #Venice #mscorchestra pic.twitter.com/2UvWYir0Hu
– cQIX (@cqix) June 5, 2021
Since the alternate port was not yet prepared, MSC Cruises announced at the beginning of June that cruises from Venice would be resumed. Its 92,400 GT MSC Orchestra was greeted by tugs celebrating its return to port, as well as demonstrators on land and in small boats. Port officials waved welcome back banners and also sailed the cruise ship when it first arrived in June.
Environmental groups warn that Venice’s days are numbers due to the increasing damage from the floods. Tourism officials agreed on the importance of preserving the city, but also pointed to the jobs and economic contribution created by the more than 1.6 million cruise passengers who visited the city in 2019.
