Venice leads the way in bid to save cities from mass tourism
Industry will have to reinvent itself as leisure time increases but also barriers to travel
When Covid-19 lockdowns emptied out cities from Paris to Sydney, city dwellers got a glimpse of what life without the hazards of mass tourism could be. Now, as the sound of jet engines and cruise ships fills the air again, we should push for a more balanced return to normality.
Italy offers a glimpse of what that might be with Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s courageous move to ban giant cruise ships from Venice’s lagoon. The decision, which took effect last weekend, might seem like a no-brainer given the ballooning size and damage caused by floating hulks carrying thousands of people, but it is one that carries real economic trade-offs after the pandemic. It should be just the start: the tourism industry that calls for regulation alongside longer-term reinvention...
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