Venice and its lagoon again escape inclusion on UNESCO list of heritage sites in danger

By COLLEEN BARRY
Associated Press

VENICE, Italy (AP) — The storied Italian lagoon city of Venice has escaped inclusion on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites in danger during a meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Saudia Arabia on Thursday. Member states commended efforts to preserve both the storied and fragile city and its lagoon. The vote came just days after the Venice city council approved a pilot project to charge day-trippers a 5-euro entrance fee on 30 high-traffic days next year — one of the efforts cited by many of the 21 countries that supported keeping Venice off the list. Venice similarly avoided being labeled an endangered world heritage site in 2021 after the Rome government announced a ban on big cruise ships past St. Mark’s Square and through the Giudecca canal.