Tourism

Venice is an important tourist destination for its celebrated art and architecture. [59] The city
gets up to 60,000 tourists per day (2017 estimate). Estimates as to the annual number of tourists
vary from 22 million to 30 million.[60][61][62] This “ overtourism ” creates overcrowding and
environmental problems in its canal ecosystem. By 2017, UNESCO was considering the
addition of Venice to its "In-Danger" list which includes historical ruins in war-torn countries.
To reduce the number of visitors that are causing irreversible changes in Venice, the agency
supports limiting the number of cruise ships[63][64] as well as creating a full strategy for a
more sustainable tourism.[65]

Tourism has been a major sector of Venetian industry since the 18th century, when it was a
major center for the Grand Tour, with its beautiful cityscape, uniqueness, and rich musical and
artistic cultural heritage. In the 19th century, it became a fashionable centre for the "rich and
famous", often staying or dining at luxury establishments such as the Danieli Hotel and the
Caffè Florian. It continued being a fashionable city in vogue right into the early 20th
century.[59]In the 1980s, the Carnival of Venice was revived and the city has become a major
centre of international conferences and festivals, such as the prestigious Venice Biennale and
the Venice Film Festival, which attract visitors from all over the world for their theatrical,
cultural, cinematic, artistic, and musical productions.[59]

Today, there are numerous attractions in Venice, such as St Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace,
the Grand Canal, and the Piazza San Marco. The Lido di Venezia is also a popular international
luxury destination, attracting thousands of actors, critics, celebrities, and mainly people in the
cinematic industry. The city also relies heavily on the cruise business.[59] The Cruise Venice
Committee has estimated that cruise ship passengers spend more than 150 million euros (US
$193 million) annually in the city according to a 2015 report.[66] Other reports, however, point
out that such day trippers spend relatively little in the few hours of their visits to the city.[56]

Venice is regarded by some as a tourist trap, and by others as a "living museum".[59] Unlike
most other places in Western Europe, and the world, Venice has become widely known for its
element of elegant decay. The competition for foreigners to buy homes in Venice has made
prices rise so high that numerous inhabitants are forced to move to more affordable areas of
Veneto and Italy, the most notable being Mestre.