Venice

Overtourism

Venice faces significant challenges due to overtourism, which has drastically altered the city's demographic and economic landscape. Gary Arndt notes that the population has dwindled to about 50,000 Venetians, as many have left due to high living costs and the lucrative opportunity to rent homes to tourists via platforms like Airbnb. This influx of visitors has led to calls for restrictions on tourism to preserve the city's unique character and infrastructure 1.

Venice has become the poster child for over tourism. People are literally loving it to death.

--- Gary Arndt

The pandemic provided a rare glimpse into a quieter Venice, sparking debates on how to balance tourism with the city's preservation 1.

   

Flooding

Flooding remains a persistent threat to Venice, exacerbated by its unique geographical position at sea level. Gary Arndt explains that high tides and storm surges frequently inundate areas like St Mark's Square, with some parts of the city sinking as much as six feet underwater 1. To combat this, a system of 78 floodgates has been constructed, first used in 2020, and expected to be fully operational by 2025.

The entire city is situated at sea level, and by that I mean literally at sea level.

--- Gary Arndt

These measures are part of ongoing discussions about the city's future and how to protect its residents and heritage from environmental threats 1.