The stakes for the fragile lagoon city are high this week as a UNESCO committee decides whether to insert Venice on its list of endangered sites. – A scowling gondoliere ferrying sightseers 10 at a time across the mouth of Venice's Grand Canal scolds passengers to sit still and frets over being shorted the bargain 2-euro fare.
A declassification would appear an indictment of the city’s management of tourism, after it escaped a downgrade two years ago when the Rome government enacted a ban on cruise ships off St. Mark’s Square and in the Giudecca canal. Tempers flew at a city council meeting this week ahead of a vote that made Venice the first city in the world to charge visitors an entrance fee. Local television clips showed the mayor and a political opponent trading heated insults over the dais as a crowd of concerned citizens overflowed into the corridor.
The recommendation to downgrade Venice cites not only management of mass tourism, but also the impact of climate change. It notes, for example, that the underwater barriers to protect Venice are not yet fully operational.
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