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Could Venice move its cruise port? Industry and city in talks after protest …

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By
Travelmail Reporter


PUBLISHED:

05:33 EST, 26 September 2013


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UPDATED:

05:33 EST, 26 September 2013

Protests about how close cruise ships sail to the historic city of Venice have been steadily increasing for months.

Now the cruise industry has agreed to sit down with the Italian city’s representatives to discuss concerns about the ships’ impact on the popular tourist destination.

One alternative up for debate is moving Venice’s port to a different canal, so that huge cruise ships no longer pass alongside St Mark’s Square.

Cruise ship in Venice

Eyesore: Cruise ships tower over famous Venice attractions such as St Mark’s Square

The executive chairman of MSC Cruises, Pierfrancesco Vago, confirmed in a press conference that the industry was looking at different canals to try and find an alternative for a port.

Locals have long voiced concerns about huge ships, often carrying thousands of passengers, damaging the foundations of the fragile city when they pass so close to buildings down narrow canals, before mooring up alongside historic monuments which they overshadow.

The announcement by the cruise industry comes just days after protesters delayed several ships for up to an hour by leaping into the city’s Giudecca Canal.

Activists of

Taking to the water: Activists of the “No Big Ships” (‘No Grandi Navi’) movement swim in the Venice Lagoon to prevent cruise ships passing through

Around 50 protestors wearing wetsuits
paddled in the water to prevent the 12 ships due to pass down the canal
from advancing. There were up to 1,000 other demonstrators on hand to
lend support.

Normally two ships a day travel down the canal past St Mark’s Square, but last weekend 12 ships – of which nine were the maximum 40,000 tonnage allowed to approach Venice – were due to pass through in just one day.

Activists of

Sending a message: Up to 1,000 supporters gathered during the protest

Supporters of the cruise trade say up to 5,000 people are kept in employment by the frequent ship visits, but others argue the day-trippers are further eroding Venice’s character and could be causing structural damage to the city.

During the press conference, Mr Vago defended the importance of the cruise industry for Venice. He said: “One shop out of six lives because of the cruise industry, 33 per cent of the hotel industry lives because of the cruise industry. It is an emotional impact.”

But following the protest, the mayor of Venice, Giorgio Orsoni, said: “The time for decisions has arrived, the big ships must go as soon as possible.”

As a result of the protest, environment minister Andrea Orlando said he would put forward a proposal to redirect cruise ships to the mainland port of Maghera in the Venice Lagoon.


Comments (4)

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mistymoon,

Here And Now,

4 hours ago

The cruise industry has an awful lot of money (and clout). If it desires an alternative port this will happen.

By the way, your article is wrong. The ships are MUCH larger than 40,000 tons

cheffy,

Newcastle England,

7 hours ago

years ago you couldn’t get moved what with the liners and visiting cruise ships. at least now the large liners bring a lot of tourists who help to keep venice afloat

mike,

london,

7 hours ago

We flew out of Marco Polo earlier in the year, and looking out of the plane window we saw a cruise ship moored at the entrance to the Grand Canal, it dwarfed everything, and was a real eyesore.

Durant Imboden,

Minneapolis, United States,

9 hours ago

Even Venice’s mayor has conceded that Italy’s national government, not the city, controls the shipping channels in and around Venice. Given Italy’s economic difficulties, it’s hard to imagine that spending hundreds of millions of euros to dredge alternative navigation channels and build new cruise-port facilities on the industrial mainland ranks high on the Italian government’s “to do” list. The protests may be great theatre, and railing against large cruise ships may win votes from local NIMBYs, but money speaks louder than words.

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