Big Ships Back To Venice!

It’s been announced this week that the proposed size restriction on ships going to Venice has been scrapped.

I can’t say I’m overly surprised really, I mean Venice is one of the prime money spinners for the Italian tourist trade, with cruise ships docking there contributing to a huge portion of spending, not to mention all the port tax the ships pay. The cruise trade is worth a small fortune to Italy in general but Venice brings in a huge cut of that, second only to perhaps Rome.

If there is a ship coming into Venice the local businesses know about it, with thousands of people descending into their shops all at once!

I have no doubt that business owners in Venice will welcome the scrappage of the size restriction with open arms from a financial point of view, but should this really be a case of heart over head?

The reason the restriction was put in place was to protect the foundations that Venice sits on. It’s a world heritage destination and is loved as a city by the entire planet. You cannot fail to fall in love with the place from the moment you see it.

I was there a few years ago, during the Venice Carnival, where everyone wears amazing masks in St Marks Square to celebrate Lent, it was an orgy of colour, music, culture, and celebration, fantastic!

But Venice has so much more than that, the routes being of course Art and Architecture, and it’s the latter that needs protecting today.

Now being a Cruise Sales Specialist who has targets to hit, I of course am very pleased with the news of the bigger ships being allowed to return, but do I want Venice to crumble into the sea as a result, no! Of course not!

It’s a huge talking point and a real controversial one for the Italian authorities, no doubts they will face a real backlash, as may the cruise lines for pressuring them to return.

I have to say I can only sit on the fence on this one, but what do you think?

Should the big ships be allowed back? Was it all a big fuss over nothing in the first place?

You decide! I look forward to your feedback on this one, and as always, thanks for reading and………..until next time……….