One of the world’s most popular destinations is on the brink of endangerment.
Venice has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, thanks to its grand architecture and canal network. Yet, the city has been under concern for the last few years due to climate change and the effects of over-tourism.
The result is that UNESCO has now proposed that Venice be added to its list of World Heritage in Danger sites.
Amongst the list are ancient cities like Aleppo in Syria, Jerusalem in Israel, and the historic center of Odesa in Ukraine.
The matter of Venice’s inclusion was last discussed at a UNESCO meeting in September. Italian officials have attempted to rectify the situation by banning cruise ships along the waterways and considering a tourist tax in an attempt to limit the number of visitors, but the global organization has called these measures “currently insufficient and not detailed enough.”
UNESCO further stated that Italy has not been communicating in a sustained and substantive manner since its last Committee session in 2021 when the threat of blacklisting the City of Water was already under consideration.
The Venetian municipality has said that it would review the proposed decision and discuss it with the Italian government.
