Crescunda 19 (hi res)

27 Merchant Taylors’ Prep School Newsletter - 15.11.2019 I have chosen to look at the effects of cruise ships on Venice. There has recently been a lot of debate about whether cruise ships should be banned from sailing through Venice; in the last year there have been two collisions involving cruise ships. Firstly, the environmental impacts should be considered. The largest cruise ships dislodge 50 million litres of water as they sail, eroding the foundations of historic buildings nearby. However, Venice also has acqua alta (exceptional tides) which rise over 150cm above sea level and also contribute to erosion. Cruise ships release high amounts of emissions; cruise ships are estimated to give off 5 times as much nitrogen oxide as all the other passenger boats in Venice combined. Venice had 52 “bad air” days in 2017, well over the EU limit of 35. Venice is encouraging cruise ships to use low sulphur fuel. I would also argue that cruise ships pollute Venice “visually” – I was shocked when I saw a huge cruise ship sail past St Mark’s Square. Secondly, the economic impacts of tourism should be looked at; tourism accounts for 11.4% of Venice’s GDP and employs 20% of residents. This may help to explain the low unemployment rate of only 5%, particularly for lower skilled jobs. In the summer, there are 2.2 million overnight visitors and 465,000 day visitors, of which only 15% are cruise passengers. However, many cruises start or end at Venice so passengers may stay as well. Cruise ships generate money for Venice, as they are charged up to €60,000 for docking in the city and a €3-10 tax on day visitors has just been introduced. Port services employ around 4,000 people in Venice and is a key industry in Italy; if cruise ships were banned completely then replacement jobs would be needed. The Venice region has a successful chemical processing and materials engineering industry, but these jobs are located on the mainland, not in the city itself. Lastly, I would like to look at the impact of cruise ships, and tourism in general, on the “real” Venice. Many local shops like bakers have been replaced by cheap souvenir shops that are particularly popular with day visitors from cruises. House prices have risen due to houses being turned into hotels or rented out to tourists. The number of people living in Venice has fallen from over 170,000 to 55,000 today. As the population decreases so does the demand for local shops and services. A recent Guardian article stated, “If we don’t fix these problems, Venice will be like Disneyland - just a park for the tourists without people living there.” To conclude, I think that the cruise ships have a negative environmental impact, although rising sea levels and sinking foundations may cause a far greater problem for Venice in the future. I also believe that cruise ships are unfairly blamed for a much wider problem in Venice, which is the damage caused by 20 million people a year visiting an area of only 8 square km. by Jack Groves “Are cruise ships the villain of Venice?”