"An Irreversible Damage"... UNESCO's Second Warning to Venice

Recommendation to "List as World Heritage in Danger"
Countries Suffer from 'Overtourism'
Effectiveness of Selfie Bans and Tolls Uncertain

Italy's water city Venice has been recommended to be placed on the 'List of World Heritage in Danger.'

Venice, Italy
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

According to AFP and other sources on the 1st (local time), UNESCO recommended that the Italian authorities protect Venice and its lagoon, built on 118 small islands, by placing it on the 'List of World Heritage in Danger.'

This recommendation is understood to have been made by UNESCO due to the recent surge in tourists visiting Venice, causing damage to the city and its architecture, highlighting the problem of overtourism.

In a statement, UNESCO said, "Venice has suffered irreversible damage due to human intervention such as continuous development, climate change, and mass tourism," adding, "This long-standing issue has already deteriorated Venice's unique characteristics and attributes."

UNESCO also explained the negative impact of high-rise building development, stating, "Changes caused by humans and those caused by nature are having a complex effect on the structures and urban areas."

This is the second time Venice has received a recommendation to be listed as endangered, following 2021. At that time, UNESCO recommended listing Venice on the danger list and urged efforts to preserve the site, but the World Heritage Committee rejected it.

UNESCO pointed out, "The Italian authorities have not taken any significant measures for sustainable tourism despite this situation."

As Venice Suffers from 'Overtourism'... Tourists Face Fines and Tolls

Portofino, Italy
Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, as famous tourist destinations around the world suffer from overtourism, local governments have responded by imposing fines or charging tolls.

The Italian city of Portofino, famous for its photo spots, introduced a selfie fine system in April after excessive tourist congestion caused traffic jams in certain areas.

Tourists who linger in these spots to take selfies must pay fines of up to 275 euros (approximately 390,000 KRW).

The Swiss lakeside village of Iseltwald, well known as a filming location for the drama "Crash Landing on You," decided to start charging tolls from June due to a surge in tourists.

A local tourism office staff member said, "We are happy that tourists are increasing in Iseltwald, but it is also becoming difficult to manage," adding, "Iseltwald is like a paradise on earth, and we want to keep it that way."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.