Venice Squawking Over Pigeons

Tourism surging, residents worry about Costa Concordia disaster

(NEWSER) - Fragile, waterlogged Venice has long been unhappy with the onslaught of ever-larger cruise ships that inundate its picturesque port. But the wreck of the Costa Concordia has sent fears soaring, and many in the city are calling for regulations to cut down on the 650 cruise ships that come to Venice each year and keep them further from the venerable city, reports the AP . Cruise ship tourism has increased from 280,000 passengers in 1997 to 1.8 million last year, and with the European cruise industry expected to double by 2020, that number will continue to soar. More»

Minimal tax on overnight visitors could raise millions

(NEWSER) - Vacationing in Venice is about to get a wee bit pricier. In a bid to save the slowly sinking city, Venice will next month start levying a tourist tax. Those lucky enough to stay in a five-star hotel will see a nightly per-person charge of nearly $6.50 added to their bills, the Telegraph reports. Those slumbering in not-so-posh accommodations will pay a lesser amount. The city of about 60,000 sees an influx of the same number of tourists each day, and hopes the move will bring in millions of dollars that would be dedicated to anti-sinking maintenance. More»

Billion-dollar floodgates may fail to stave off rising tides

(NEWSER) - Not only is Venice sinking, but the $6-billion floodgates designed to protect it may not do the job, NPR reports. Critics say that the 78 half-built mobile gates, designed to block off seawater when it rises, may fail to fend off sea levels heightened by climate change. And even if they do, they could upset the fragile ecosystem between the sea and the city's lagoon. More»

(NEWSER) - A 23-year-old mother of two has overcome a grueling entrance exam and 900 years of taboos to become the first female gondolier in Venetian history, the Los Angeles Times reports. Giorgia Boscolo's entry into the profession has caused waves among the city's close-knit fraternity of gondoliers, with some fearing she is seeking to exploit her newfound celebrity. More»

Outrage greets plan to install vending machines in lagoon city

(NEWSER) - The mayor of Venice has cut a $2.1 million deal with Coca-Cola to install dozens of vending machines, leading to angry charges that the company was "buying" the historic lagoon city. The city council has spent years passing ordinances to keep tourists from disrupting Venice's heritage, but in recent years it has faced dramatic budget shortfalls, and the mayor says Venice cannot be safeguarded "by philanthropy alone." More»