Tourists crowd the area near the Rialto Bridge on August 2, 2023, in Venice, Italy. UNESCO officials have included Venice and its lagoon to the list of world heritage in danger to review, along with Ukraine's Kyiv, and Lviv. The UN cultural agency deems Italy not effective in protecting Venice from mass tourism and extreme weather conditions.
The city joined the World Heritage list in 1987, but failure to maintain the quality of the historical sites could see it moved to the"endangered" list and eventually lose its World Heritage status. UNESCO previously threatened to downgrade Venice in 2021, but the city banned cruise ships from traveling through it, which appeared to appease the World Heritage Committee, AFAR reported.
UNESCO officials have emphasized that a downgrade is not meant to be punitive but to alert the world community that more needs to be done to address issues plaguing aA group of visitors waits for the arrival of a gondola in Venice, one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. Some critics worry the move will lead to a"Disneyfication" of the city, creating the sense of a"cultural theme park," as the fee is not enough to deter most people, but failure to present proof of entry when questioned could result in heavy fees.