Italy to ban mammoth cruise ships from Venice from Aug 1

It is all about tourism money, but it really would have been better to ban the ships starting July 1. Most people don't understand the size of these ships, how big they appear, and the damage their wakes make even at slow speeds. There are plenty of big water taxis from various places on Lido that take tourist to Venice. August is the first step, maybe July and August next year.

The Cabinet decree also establishes compensation mechanisms for navigation companies and others affected by the ban. Until a more suitable docking area can be established elsewhere in waters outside the heart of Venice, the government has approved creating at least four temporary docking sites near the industrial port of Marghera, located on the northwestern Adriatic Sea.

The measures taken seems quite well justified, even if not opportune enough to prevent the damage already done. Obviously a lot of people will not be happy with this, but at least they are not being completely ignored and some limited compensation is being considered.

Might as well ban all cruise ships. If Venice does not want tourists, ban them. If not restrict them to taking the train.

Cruise ships were early spreaders of Covid, and have a history of being breeding grounds for other communicable diseases as well. Add to that the environmental damage they cause, and the slave like conditions the ships crews are subject to, no one with an iota of social conscience would board one of these things.