Unesco recommends putting Venice on heritage danger list
Published: 04:08 PM,Aug 01,2023 | EDITED : 08:08 PM,Aug 01,2023
Tourists taking photos on the Tolentini bridge in Venice. — AFP
PARIS/ VENICE: The UN's cultural agency Unesco on Monday recommended that Venice be added to its list of world heritage in danger, saying the Italian authorities needed to step up efforts to secure the historic city and its surrounding lagoon.
Unesco said in its recommendation that Venice risked 'irreversible' damage due to a string of issues ranging from climate change to mass tourism. The recommendation will now go to a meeting of Unesco's World Heritage Committee in Riyadh in September for adoption.
'The effects of the continuing deterioration due to human intervention, including continuing development, the impacts of climate change and mass tourism threaten to cause irreversible changes to the outstanding universal value of the property,' said Unesco.
In a related recommendation announced on Monday, Unesco said its experts believed Australia needed more time to boost protection of the Great Barrier Reef before it was declared 'in danger' due to the risk of damage from climate change.
On the basis of progress made by Australia, Unesco said the natural wonder's current state should not be discussed at the Riyadh meeting, but instead be revisited in 2024.
Venice's famed Rialto Bridge was jammed with tourists on Monday, the same day Unesco recommended the watery city be put on its endangered list citing overtourism and other concerns.
Taking selfies, licking gelato and wheeling suitcases, the hordes of visitors seemed happily oblivious to the possible downgrade Unesco said was due to the risk of 'irreversible' damage.
New York tourist Ashley Park, 28, said she knew it would be crowded in Venice, but it wasn't ruining her vacation.
'Obviously if we lived here with all these tourists it wouldn't be fun,' she acknowledged.
Among the crowds on the historic bridge was city worker Diego Nechifrovo, 23, wearing an #EnjoyRespectVenezia T-shirt, who was busy keeping an eye out for misbehaving tourists.
'Sometimes I see someone throwing away his cigarette or walking around without a T-shirt,' he said, noticing a bag of potato chips discarded on the doorstep of a jewellery shop.
The worst? One time a family 'sat down right in front of the Doge's Palace and started to set up a picnic.'
A few weeks ago, a distracted tourist fell into the water, Nechifrovo said.
'He was trying to get a good photo'.
Not far away, a seller of watercolours had a sign on his stand pointing to St. Mark's Square.
'That's all they want to know,' said the native Venetian, Claudio, who declined to give his last name. 'They come to Venice because it's Venice. That's all.'
The days of educated tourists visiting and enjoying the city's many churches and museums were over, he said.
'Those who come now don't even know what a museum is. It's not cultural tourism,' he said.
'They need to go to the beach, or the mountains, but not here!' he lamented. 'Please don't come anymore!' — Agencies
Unesco said in its recommendation that Venice risked 'irreversible' damage due to a string of issues ranging from climate change to mass tourism. The recommendation will now go to a meeting of Unesco's World Heritage Committee in Riyadh in September for adoption.
'The effects of the continuing deterioration due to human intervention, including continuing development, the impacts of climate change and mass tourism threaten to cause irreversible changes to the outstanding universal value of the property,' said Unesco.
In a related recommendation announced on Monday, Unesco said its experts believed Australia needed more time to boost protection of the Great Barrier Reef before it was declared 'in danger' due to the risk of damage from climate change.
On the basis of progress made by Australia, Unesco said the natural wonder's current state should not be discussed at the Riyadh meeting, but instead be revisited in 2024.
Venice's famed Rialto Bridge was jammed with tourists on Monday, the same day Unesco recommended the watery city be put on its endangered list citing overtourism and other concerns.
Taking selfies, licking gelato and wheeling suitcases, the hordes of visitors seemed happily oblivious to the possible downgrade Unesco said was due to the risk of 'irreversible' damage.
New York tourist Ashley Park, 28, said she knew it would be crowded in Venice, but it wasn't ruining her vacation.
'Obviously if we lived here with all these tourists it wouldn't be fun,' she acknowledged.
Among the crowds on the historic bridge was city worker Diego Nechifrovo, 23, wearing an #EnjoyRespectVenezia T-shirt, who was busy keeping an eye out for misbehaving tourists.
'Sometimes I see someone throwing away his cigarette or walking around without a T-shirt,' he said, noticing a bag of potato chips discarded on the doorstep of a jewellery shop.
The worst? One time a family 'sat down right in front of the Doge's Palace and started to set up a picnic.'
A few weeks ago, a distracted tourist fell into the water, Nechifrovo said.
'He was trying to get a good photo'.
Not far away, a seller of watercolours had a sign on his stand pointing to St. Mark's Square.
'That's all they want to know,' said the native Venetian, Claudio, who declined to give his last name. 'They come to Venice because it's Venice. That's all.'
The days of educated tourists visiting and enjoying the city's many churches and museums were over, he said.
'Those who come now don't even know what a museum is. It's not cultural tourism,' he said.
'They need to go to the beach, or the mountains, but not here!' he lamented. 'Please don't come anymore!' — Agencies