The cruise industry has welcomed the decision by the Italian Government on a long-awaited alternative route for ship access to the city of Venice.
Italy on last Tuesday banned cruise liners from Venice lagoon to defend its ecosystem and heritage, moving to end years of hesitation and putting the demands of residents and culture bodies above those of the tourist industry.
The government decided to act after the United Nations culture organisation UNESCO threatened to put Italy on a blacklist for not banning liners from the World Heritage site, cabinet sources said.
The ban will take effect from Aug. 1, barring ships weighing more than 25,000 tonnes from the shallow Giudecca Canal that leads past Piazza San Marco, the city’s most famous landmark.
For several years, CLIA and its members have been supportive of the Government’s ambition to identify a long-awaited alternative water route to serve Venice. This decision has finally identified this alternative route and port.
The cruise industry has over the years cooperated with national and local authorities constructively throughout as authorities have searched for a sustainable solution to this long-standing and complex challenge.
“I am proud of a commitment that had been honoured,” Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said in a tweet announcing the cabinet’s approval of the decree.
The legislation, which is likely to affect the business of cruise companies such as Carnival Cruises, provides compensation for firms and workers involved, a culture ministry statement said.
Carnival cruises was not immediately available to comment.
Venice residents and the international community have been urging governments for years to ban large ships passing through the lagoon, polluting and threatening the stability of its buildings and fragile ecosystem.
Such concerns clash with the interests of port authorities and tourist operators who say the city needs the business offered by the cruise industry.
The 25,000-ton threshold will mean only small passenger ferries and goods vessels can use the Giudecca, excluding all cruise liners which typically weigh at least four times as much and can reach more than 200,000 tons.
Commenting on the announcement, Francesco Galietti, CLIA Italy National Director said:
“We are pleased that the Italian Government has taken this decision on an alternative route as the cruise industry has been supportive of a new approach for many years. The Government’s decision to appoint a special Commissioner to fast track the process is also a welcome development. We now look forward to progress being made towards the provision of alternative docking arrangements in time for the 2022 season.”
Rome has passed legislation numerous times in the past to limit liners’ access to one of the world’s most famous tourist sites, but an alternative docking point is not yet ready.
Residents protested in June when the 92,000 tonne MSC Orchestra sailed through the lagoon en route for Croatia and Greece, attracting the attention of international media.
In April, Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government approved a decree to build a terminal outside the lagoon where passenger vessels over 40,000 tons and container ships can berth. The call for bids to build the terminal was published on June 29.
In the meantime, large boats were told to dock at the industrial port of Marghera, but this intermediate solution is not yet ready because Marghera lacks a suitable docking point for liners.
The government’s decree appoints a special commissioner to fast-track the docking station at Marghera.
Alessandro Santi, who heads Federagenti, a national shipping lobby, said the government was taking no account of the industry with an approach that was “regrettable and creates resentment”.
He accused Rome of listening to UNESCO and international culture lobbyists while ignoring local “citizens and business people”.
“Limiting the passage of ships won’t solve the difficulties of Venice as a city,” he said.
The cruise industry provides a significant contribution to national economies. In Italy alone, the cruise sector generates a turnover of €14 billion every year, supporting over 120,000 jobs (direct and indirect).