Venice's Tourism Dilemma | Full Episode | SBS Dateline
It's one of the world's most recognisable cities. There's nothing like it. A place bustling with culture, food and history. And not surprisingly, tourists like me.
But many Venetians aren't happy with the city's iconic status. The city is fast becoming unliveable. Venice is at a crossroads, but not tourists is really to blame? It's the height of the European summer and I'm joining the morning rush to one of Italy's biggest tourist attractions. Each year an estimated 6 million tourists visit this tiny water-bound city and the vast majority come for only a day. But since April, day tripping tourists have been forced to pay a 5 euro entry fee.
Yes, just one day, just for one day. The fee is only implemented on Venice's busiest days, like weekends. The aim is to encourage people to defer their trip and alleviate stress on the city.
But on this day, it seems the entry fee hasn't deterred any crowds. This is one of hundreds of alleys around the city and it's a busy, busy Saturday. Venice's waterways are awash with boats, tourists and an endless stream of selfies. The famous Rialto Bridge is almost impossible.
There's even a lineups just to get a picture of it. But for newlyweds Jonathan and Bella, Venice lives up to expectations. It's beautiful. It's amazing.
It's something that we've never seen but very, very touristy. Would you think twice about coming if you had to pay an entrance fee? Not really. It will just seem as though it's like an amusement park. If Venice is a theme park, then gondolas would be the main ride. And for gondoliers like Nicolo, tourists en masse is the price to pay for survival. Nicola is a fifth generation gondolier.
On a good day, he can make up to 2,500 Australian dollars. If there were no tourists, would your business survive? And while the tourist dollar keeps the gondola tradition alive, it affects other Venetian icons very differently. It's 4 a.m..
After 50 years, Andrea Vio is used to the early starts. The Rialto markets have been a cornerstone of Venetian life for around 1,600 years. But that heartbeat is fading. What percentage of people who come to the market do you think are tourists? Preferring to eat in restaurants, tourists just don't buy fish. The only thing they're taking away are photos. And Andrea's income so far.
But strangely, Andrea's issue isn't tourists. It's tourism. And its effect on Rialto.
A situation unlikely to change Venetians are leaving the city because it's fast becoming unaffordable. A constant stream of goods not only fuels the city, it employs thousands. It's estimated that tourism now accounts for around 85% of Venice's economy.
I'm heading to Santa Margarita. It's a popular spot for locals, but naturally they have to share the space. How would you describe what it's like to live in a tourist hotspot? Ruggero Tallon is a fifth generation Venetian. He grew up near this piazza. A high school teacher by day, he's adamant things need to change.
It also means that every day Venetians, who keep the city afloat, are being priced or pushed out. And ironically, it's these same people and their jobs that are part of the tourist attraction. You're a schoolteacher.
How are you seeing the effect of all these changes in your classrooms? Do you think the entry fee will have an impact on tourist numbers? Ruggero's group, No Big Ships, has been fighting against mass tourism for decades. The group believes cruise ships epitomise Venice's problems. In 2021, after years of protests, the local government banned cruise ships docking in Venice. They now dock on the mainland and send day tripping tourists by train.
Where Ruggero's fight is loud and visible, other Venetians opt for a more subtle form of dissent, like in the window of this bookshop. For many young Venetians, the choice to live in this city is now a political one. But the reality of finding a home is not easy.
Hi Kumi! Hello Nina! Nice to see you. Come on up. Nina is a native Venetian, and she's been looking for a rental property for over a year. Welcome to the house Thank you, Nina And come and meet Flora. You such an angel.
Today, under the watchful eye of Flora, she's asked me to help her move. Okay. So what can I take? Where to start? I mean, anything.
Okay, maybe this one. This is kind of a good sized box. And you know what? I can I can actually do this.
Look, who's moved house before? My pleasure. Let's go. Akin to a mate with a ute, Nina's enlisted her boat owning friend Pat to help. Okay, I'm on.
It used to be, like, really easy to find a place to rent and to live. Yeah. Since a few years is just impossible. That's because there's less homes available. Landlords now focus on tourists because short-term rentals make twice as much As long term ones. This is the new home.
This is the new home? Okay. Okay. I'm gonna throw it, ready? Oh, no. No, don't.
No, no, no. Staying in Venice is a trend Nina is bucking. The compromise is having to accept whatever's on offer. Right. No, it doesn't open properly.
Great! Okay. Oh, God. Yes. I mean, and then we have to go upstairs. Hold on.
Why was it so hard to find somewhere? Because Venetians just want to rent to tourists these days. So would you say you're competing with the tourists? Yes, definitely. There is a sort of like sense of competition, but also like that you're not really wanted. You know, you don't.
You kind of like pushed away. Do you blame tourists for this problem? No, absolutely not. I think it's like the system and like the mayor, the city itself, that sort of, you know, it's not protecting its inhabitants really. The local council says it's trying to address residents concerns along with the entry fee. Tour groups are now limited to 25 people.
But is that enough to make the city more liveable for the average Venetian? Venice's deputy mayor Simone Venturini is the public face of the city's tourist taming efforts. Welcome to Sala Stucchi, most important hall in the palace Unbeliveable! Look at this room. Chandelier Murano glass Very Venetian here. Ten years ago, George Clooney and Amal had their wedding here in this hall. No way. They got married right here? Right here Do you think the current tourism model is sustainable for residents of the city? By concrete he means the entry fee.
There are now less than 50,000 residents living in Venice. Does that concern you? This flies in the face of everything we've heard on this trip so far. And it does not explain the ongoing protests. I asked the deputy mayor how he felt about the unrest.
Has the problem changed or evolved since then? I can see why he wanted to show me that video. It makes sense, but I'm not sure how I feel about the comparison. In 1964, Venice had 127,000 residents and 1.5 million tourists every year.
That's a ratio of 12 tourists for every resident. Today, annual tourists outnumber residents over 100 to 1. The deputy mayor told us that protesters are just a small group of people who will protest about anything. What do you say to that? I'm in Venice as city caught between making money from tourists and keeping things liveable. Fishmonger Andrea has invited me over for dinner. Daniella is preparing a local speciality.
If you don't mind me asking, what's it like to watch Andrea sort of struggle with his business? I'm so sorry. That must be really hard to imagine. As the afternoon fades, Andrea's friends and son Giole join us for dinner.
Soon after my spaghetti etiquette quickly becomes the talking point. My mother wants to know where did you learn to eat spaghetti? Oh, is it good technique? Yeah. Oh, apparently I turn my fork the wrong way. Which way do you go? Because I'm a left handed Andrea, if you could dream of the most perfect Venice in future, what would that look like? Do other young Venetians like you see a future here in Venice? How much more can the city take? But no one here is going anywhere without a fight. And in this band, father and son determined to give a voice to a city on the brink. With global tourism set to double by 2050, the question now is what will Venice look like for the next generation.
2024-08-15 06:15
