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Current Implications

Measures to avoid the current impact of tourism
the Expo 2000 case



Venice was among three cities being considered to hold Expo 2000, a four month world exposition welcoming in the new century. The exposition would bring in an estimated 200,000 visitors per day. There was question, however, as to whether Expo 2000 would be a net economic stimulus for Venice or whether the event's environmental impact would cause irreparable ecological damage. The Venetian regional government spent approximately $750,000 on a feasibility study,whose conclusions left city officials opposed hosting Expo 2000.

Italy's foreign minister, Gianni De Michelis, in 1990, led the campaign to host Expo 2000. The advocates of the plan, the Venice 2000 Consortium, was led by Mr. De Michelis's brother Cesare, and backed by 40 companies including Fiat, Benetton, Olivetti, and Coca-Cola and Ferruzzi Finanziaria S.p.A. They argued that this would held Venice's economic revival, including improvements in telecommunication and transportation infrastructure. Further, they also proposed a computerized

system to regulate the flow of tourists into Venice and argued that visitors should be charged for a "Venice- card" to enter the city, thereby bringing revenue.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Mayor of Venice, backed by residents, art historians, and preservationists world-wide, led the opposition to holding the Expo. Even without the Expo, Venice is inundated each summer with roughly 100,000 tourists per day. The result: overcrowding of the streets, excessive garbage, and destruction of monuments, causing residents to flee the island at an alarming rate of 1,500 per year. The exposition would double the amount of peak season tourism in Venice, more than likely, doubling the problems associated with tourism.

The Italian government made the decision to withdraw Venice's candidacy from the Expo 2000. Had they not withdrawn the application, the final decision would have been entrusted with the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE), a Paris based Intergovernmental Agency, to vote on a site for Expo 2000. At the same time, the European Parliament voted in May of 1990 to call Italy to withdraw its candidacy. The European Community Environment Commissioner, Italian Carlo Ripa di Mean, demanded full environmental studies for the plan. These and other environmental groups pressured the Italian government into their decision. Although the Italian government made the decision, many countries were affected. City residents and government officials of Venice were affected the most as were all of the 47 members of the International Bureau of Expositions (B.I.E.) were effected and Hannover and Toronto, two other cities competing to host the Expo. Local and other businesses, particularly those in the Venice 2000 Consortium, (Fiat,

Benetton and Ferruzzi Finanziaria), lost potential profits. On the other hand, private organisations working through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Save Venice, Inc., Venice in Peril Fund, World Monuments Fund, etc.) won a small victory for their efforts to preserve Venice's priceless monuments and artwork.

Although this measure did not ban tourists, it would not attract the same level of visitors to Venice as the Expo.

The decision to withdraw Venice as a candidate for Expo 2000 affected future tourism in Venice. The tourism industry brings in tremendous amounts of revenue to the city. Further environmental damage and overcrowding would have hurt Venice's image as a tourist destination. It could also led to a greater impact on the physical environment, perhaps contributing to the sinking of Venice.

When looking at the isolated case of the Expo 2000, trade was effectively prohibited because business opportunities were eliminated. On the other hand, one could argue that over the long run trade was actually enhanced by protecting the Venetian environment. Expo 2000 could have severely damaged the physical environment, warding off much of Venice's potential future tourism industry.

Although the Expo 2000 case was resolved, the everyday problem of excessive tourism in Venice remains. The groups working to preserve the integrity of Venice still have much to do. The questions raised by the Expo, such as providing a subway to Venice, requiring visitor cards and using the revenue to preserve Venice, still have to be answered. The pollution problems in Venice from mass tourism and lagoon pollution are still critical issues that require long term planning.

Summary and suggestions to overcome the mentioned problems

It is possible to envisage certain applications to a number of instruments to tourism, for the reason already stated that, as a major industry with respect to the consumption of productive and energy resources, generation of waste and use of unpriced natural and man-made resources, it has a substantial environmental impact. (Stabler, 1997) The imposition of charges on the use of inputs and production of waste will make both more expensive and encourage businesses to economise, for example taxes on packaged products, deposit- refund schemes for the use of recyclable materials and charges for the use of water. With respect to natural and man-made environments, the application of taxes and user charges, perhaps in form of permits or simply regulation of quotas, can be applied to restrict access to certain areas to the tourism resource base. Those implications needs to be considered, however, carefully as it should be avoided to scare away customers into areas which do not levy charges.

Tourism business, in common with many other economic enterprises, are mainly concerned with their self interest. Response to penalties or incentives will only be positive if there is a net gain. For example, given the choice between a charge, or investment to meet a specific environmental target, which would be effectively eliminate the problem, the charge would be chosen if it proves to be the cheaper option.

Looking at the problems Venice is encountering with damage due to tourism and the cost involved, it seems natural to charge tourists for the use of the resources. Due to the fact that tourists are entering the city mainly via three points, by boat via San Zaccaria (Piazza San Marco) and F.te Nove or by road and rail via P.le Rome, this charge could be levied as a special tax on tickets or roadtax for the use of the bridge linking Venice with the main land. Ferrytickets from the mainland into Venice are currently priced at about 4 £ for a return ticket, a tax of 2 £ which is linked directly with a fund for the restoration and preservation could be considered feasible amounting to about 14 million £ per annum for the conservation of Venice.

Increasing costs for wastedisposal in the area seems more the adequate considering the amount of waste produced by tourists. Comparing the amount of waste produced for Venice and the beachresorts to areas less used by tourists show a difference of 400% higher amount of waste in coastal areas. Tax on waste can be levied in different ways of which a tax levied at the wasteproducer seems to be the most feasible. Doing this, hotels would be forced to minimise their amount of waste by reducing the use of single portion packs as well as the use of recyclable containers for foodstuff and other goods. Tourists staying on campsites and in apartments would have to pay for their waste as it is already common in other countries, for example Switzerland were wastedisposal has to be paid for by volume. This would force tourists to use the, already in the area existing, facilities for recycling or minimise potential waste, such as packaging material, already when shopping.

Problems with waste are also increasing with the increased amount of fast food outlets, for example McDonald's which did not exist in Venice just three years ago. Today there are at least for outlets of this chain in the centre of Venice. Traditional finger food or snacks were served in small trattorias and bars not using more than a single tissue are toothpicks for handling. Drinks are served in glasses or cups which are reused and therefore do not increase the volume of waste in the city. Fast food as it is provided by the chains is wrapped several times and drinks are served, without alternative, in plastified papercups. Those wrappers increase the amount of waste which, at certain times can not be controlled at all resulting in overflowing bins and finally waste ending up in the canals creating special problems.

The Venice approach

Since 1998, and also earlier, a code of conduct for tourism has been set up which can be enforced within city limits. As already mentioned earlier, main day to day issues in Venice are the amount of waste. For this reason the city set up a catalogue of on-spot fines relating to this issue. Dropping cigarette-boxes into canals can be fined up to the equivalent of one thousand pounds while littering any squares will cost hundred pound on the spot.

Another problem within Venice is traffic congestions caused by the number of tourists every day. Tour-guides are not allowed to take groups into certain parts of the city and have to avoid blocking small roads. As all guides need to be licensed, the withdrawal of the licence is common practice for trespassers.

The introduction of a 'Venice-card', already often discussed in the Regione Veneto and the City council over the last years, will be made by the year 2000 costing up to 8 Pounds a day.

Plans for the Caorle and Venice lagoon

A grassroots initiative of more than 6.000 citizens of the Veneto Region is asking in a bill, forwarded to the Regione Veneto early 1998, for the introduction of a natural and cultural park in the lagoon of Venice and the Cavallino Littoral. This bill is motivated by the need to defend the lagoon environment (Consorzio Cavallino Assocamp, 1998b). The creation of a special Park authority should lead to a global management of the lagoon, reviewing the requisites of environmental protection with the requirements of productive and residential use in this densely populated area. The bill has already begun its progress, it is however unlikely to be decided swiftly as the debate on the nature of the park is more than animated. Particular involved in this debate are touroperators who should benefit from the scheme with an improved image and financial returns, for example, with the extension of the season beyond the summer month with a tourism based on natural history. Many counterarguments are brought forward by groups interests in the economic exploitation of the waterways in the lagoon, such as the Consorzio Idrovia Litoranea Veneta, the consortium for venetian waterways. Their interest is mainly to increase the amount of tourist using the waterways in the lagoon.

The debate is open and there are a number of ideas still to be discussed. Some points are however clear. First there is a consent that in the park, the local population and human resources must play a central role, given the high number of inhabitants in the area. The second concern is the need to establish a rigorous limit to the tourist consumption in this extremely fragile territory. If the Veneto Region takes on board the proposal to create this park, than the tourist offer of Cavallino will be enhanced. By exploiting the lagoon more efficiently and still preserving the environment, the possibilities for presenting this area with its natural characteristics and cultural heritage to visitors will be multiplied.

A similar approach is already made with the lagoon of Caorle which, similar to the lagoon of Venice, represents an unique environment for flora and fauna. As of 1999 the access to the lagoon is heavily restricted in several measures. Access to the shallow water areas are permitted only with permissions only available to locals with economic interest in those areas, for example fishing. All other areas are restricted to non-motorised boats or excursions into the lagoon and only opened to the general public on days of special interest, such as Marie Assumption or Ferragosto, a major holiday in Italy on which processions on water are traditional held. Using a wide campaign to promote this, the project is well accepted within the area.

Rail-link Jesolo - Punta Sabbioni

As already mentioned earlier one of the main problems for the Cavallino peninsular is the trafficcongestion along the main road. Starting already in 1998 a new traffic concept has been developed, trying to get the vehicles with the Punta Sabbioni / Venice destination on to a side road along the lagoon, leaving access to the tourist facilities and local businesses along the main road. This concept has been introduces first by signposting and it can be expected that the main road will be blocked near Punta Sabbioni by means of traffic regulations. Another idea, brought op by a consortium of enterprises around Sig. Ballarin, owner of some major tourist facilities, along the peninsular is, to build a rail-link between Jesolo and Punta Sabbioni, taking public transport of the road and reducing the general congestion. This idea, however, is still in planning and will require some extra land along the main road, with some local farmers reluctant to give this up. The discussion about this proposal is heated, and an introduction of a rail-link to the area can not be seen in the near future.



Take nothing but photographs;
leave nothing but footprints;
kill nothing but time.
(Tourist motto, Croall, 1995)


Demands towards a sustainable tourism

Much has been said about the environmental impact of longhaul tourism and all inclusive resorts overseas. This does, however not mean that tourism into other areas and using other concepts do not have an impact.

Considering the fact that every kind of tourism will have an impact on the environment, a few demands should brought forward to the travel industry and the individual tourist to minimise adverse effects.

The travel industry, under the roof of the WTO, should look out for a feasible option to devise an environmentally responsible way to deal with the amount of tourists carried. The minimum expectation, borrowing from pollution control approaches and consistent with the polluter principle, should be based on the 'best practicable' or 'best available' technology (Stabler, 1997). This is now interpreted as the best practical environmental option, in which all environmental media and the option provided should provide the most benefit or cause the least damage to the environment as a whole at acceptable cost in the long term as well as the short term. Such an approach, applied at the level of the individual tourism enterprise will be consistent with the concepts of economic efficiency and opportunity costs. Conformance to such standards will mitigate environmentally damaging consequences of tourism but will not necessarily eliminate them. Critical nature capital, such as the stratospheric ozone layer, will still be eroded by tourism travel, non-renewable resources will still be consumed in tourism infrastructaral developments, renewable resources, such as water, may be strained beyond their maximum sustainable yield in certain destination, and the cost of correcting current damaging activities, such as the disposal of untreated sewage, may be judged unacceptable in some destinations. This does however do not bail out operators of their responsibility to develop a sustainable tourism

The following points are among those made in some of the many 'good tourist' codes that are being devised in different countries and focused at the individual tourist. (Croall, 1995).

Using public transport, or other means of travel that are environmental friendly, such as cycling or best of all, walking, helps to lessen traffic congestion in popular places, as well as reduce the amount of pollution caused by car use. Looking at the special problems in Venice the use of water-taxis should also be avoided by all means.

Avoiding the peak times of the year or the week for a visit or holiday helps to ease overcrowding, and lessens any physical damage to the environment. This can also help to extend the season in tourism resorts.

Avoiding the honeypot areas can often provide an equally pleasurable experience, since there are many places of the beaten track that can match such attractions, while offering more space to the visitor. Up to now most tourists in the Veneto area are merely interested in Venice, not considering places of interest in a similar travel distance such as Verona.

Treating the physical environment with care means not leaving litter behind, keeping off areas not open to the public, staying on footpaths or bridleways in the countryside and dunes, and being sensible to the presence of wildlife.

Considering the needs and rights of people living in the area involves respecting their privacy and their property, and their desire to live without interference from curios, noisy or insensitive visitors.

Learning about the culture, language, history and geography of the place visited can make it easier to make contact with local people, which can help to reduce the hostility which can build up between them and visitors

Such hostility can also be avoided or reduced by a recognition and tolerance of the different customs, codes of dress and behaviour of the local community. This means for example not entering churches in inappropriate dress or restaurants in bathing shorts. (it happens not only on campsites)

Buying local products and eating in locally owned cafes and restaurants can help to support the local economy, and ensure that more of the proceeds from tourism stay in the area, rather than go to outside individuals or companies. This demand dismisses any type of all inclusive holidays with the negative impact on the environment it has.

Using local resources sparingly means that more of them is available to local people during the rest of the year.

Respecting the culture of a locality involves separating the authentic artistic experiences being offered from the adapted ones created merely for tourists.



Annotations

Et in Arcadia ego, the German translation of this was used on the titelpages of the first two editions of Goethes "Italian Voyage", published in 1816 and 1819, however it was omitted in the edition of last hand (Ausgabe letzter Hand). The origin of the words is uncertain but could be attributed to Vergil. Arcadia as an imaginary landscape of outstanding beauty, happiness and peace. The motto was later used in several paintings such as of Guercinos (1591-1666) in Rom or Nicolas Poussin (1593-1665), now in Chatsworth, Devonshire Collection.

For statistical reasons the Regione del Veneto, Direzione Regionale Tourismo, separates the Veneto into 5 areas. Those areas are Citta' d' Arte, which include Venice, Verona and Padova, Lago, which is mainly concerned with tourism on the Venetoside of Lake Garda, Mare, the seaside resorts along the Adriatic coast. Terme includes the eugean thermal resort as well as new established thermal spas, for example in Bibione, while Montagne is covering the mountain areas of the Veneto Area which stretches in the north into the dolomites. For this project I have concentrated on the seaside resorts as they attract the largest number of tourists and Venice as the main Cita' d' Arte in the area. Statistical movement of tourists can be found in the appendix.

Appendix

Reference and Bibliography

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AGENZIA DI PROMOZIONE TOURISTICA DI VENEZIA, 1998, Venezia, Hotels, Campings, 1998, Venezia, APT

ASPIV, (AZIENDA SERVIZI PUBBLICI IDRAULICI E VARI VENEZIA), 1998, Carta del servizio idrico integrato, Venezia

AZIENDA DI PROMOZIONE TOURISTICA DI VENEZIA, 1997, Statistica degli esercizi ricettivi, Venezia, APT

AZIENDA DI PROMOZIONE TURISTICA, 1998, Jesolo, mappa, Jesolo; APT

BERGAMO, E., 1998a, Emergenza aqua potabile, Il Gazzetino (Venezia), 15 August 1998

BERGAMO, E., 1998b, I campeggi restano senza acqua, Il Gazzetino (Venezia) 15 August 1998

BRITISH AIRWAYS, 1997, For the Environment, Annual Environmental Report 1997, Hounslow, Midas Press

BRITISH AIRWAYS, no date, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, Recognising environmental responsibilities in the tourism Industry, Harmondsworth, BA Environment Branch

CATER, E., LOWMANN, G., (ed.) 1994, Ecotourism, A sustainable Option?, Chichester; John Wiley & Sond Ltd

CONSORZIO CAVALLINO ASSOCAMPING, 1998a, A natural park in the Venice lagoon and the Cavallino Littoral, Forum estate, Anno 5, No.33, Cavallino, Edizione del Veneto di Vacanze e Natura Sas

CONSORZIO CAVALLINO ASSOCAMPING, 1998b,Cavallino celebrates 460 years, Forum estate, Anno 5, No.33, Cavallino, Edizione del Veneto di Vacanze e Natura Sas

CONSORZIO IDROVIA LITORANEA VENETA E DIRAMAZIONI, (ed.) 1998, Litoranea Veneta, Mirano; CILVD

CROLL, J., 1995, Preserve or destroy, Tourism and the Environment, London; Calouste Gulbikian Foundation

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FERROVIA DELLO STATO, 1998, Arrivals in Venice by train, Venice

FIEDLER, T., 1989, Auf der Suche nach dem verlorenen Meer, Stern, 20 July 1989, Hamburg, Gruner+Jahr

FIEDLER, T., 1990, Schaumkampf auf italienisch, Stern, 26 April 1990, Hamburg, Gruner+Jahr

GOETHE, J.W., 1981, Italienische Reise, 4. edition, Muenchen, DTV

HUNTER, C., Green, H., 1995, Tourism and the Environment, A sustainable relationship?, London; Routledge

KEIFFENHEIM, M., 1998, Tourismus als Therapie, interview with Jost Krippendorf, p.19, Greenpeace, Magazin fuer Umwelt und Politik, July - August, 01/98, Hamburg

KRAEGENOW, T., 1998, Zu Tode geliebt von Touristen, Greenpeace, Magazin fuer Umwelt und Politik, July - August, 04/98, Hamburg

MEISTER, M., 1998, Grosse glitsch Algen, Stern, 17 August 1989, Hamburg, Gruner+Jahr

NITSCHKE, H., 1998, Why Cavallino?, Forum estate, Anno 5, No.33, Cavallino, Edizione del Veneto di Vacanze e Natura Sas

REGIONE DEL VENETO ASSESSORATO ALLE POLITICHE AMBIENTALI, 1997, Situazion del recupero edelle fraziono organice per la produzione di compost nella regione Veneto, Venezia , Regione del Veneto

REGIONE DEL VENETO, ASSESSORATO ALLE POLITICE PER L'AMBIENTE, 1998, Situazione della produzione, raccolta differenziata e frazione indifferenziata del R.S.U. nella regione Veneto, Anno 1997, Venezia, Regione del Veneto

REGIONE DEL VENETO, GIUNTA REGIONALE DIREZIONE REGIONALE TURISMO, 1998, Rilevazione sul movimento turistico riepilogo regionale, periodo gennaio / dicembre, 1995-1997, Venezia; SIRT

SIEVERT, T., 1998, Uebernachtungen im Zelt/Caravan, Hamburg, Eurocamp Travel Ltd

STABLER, M.J., (ed.) 1997, Tourism and Sustainability, Principles to Practice, Wallingford; CAB International




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