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Venice is under threat of, but not because of flooding, but owing to the development of tourism.
One more hotel is likely to be constructed in the ancient city…
Last kindergarten in the historical center of Venice, near the St. Mark square will be closed within the next few days and reconstructed into the modern hotel.
In opinion of Italian analysts, the city on water gradually turns from an inhabited corner of Italy to not promised tourist sight. In the XXth century the number of inhabitants of Venice made 175 000 person, has decreased up to 121 000 in 1966, and at the moment it hardly reaches 61 000 and is constantly continuing to decrease. Thus not less than 50 000 foreign tourists visit Venice every day. The market cost of habitation is also simultaneously increasing. In the center it comes nearer to a mark of one million euro for standard apartments (100 m²). Venetians recollect that in the middle of XXth centuries the street abounded with shops and the shops, serving a life of local residents - now the majority of shops specialize on souvenirs like porcelain and carnival masks.
Venice’s mayor approves, that “extinction” of the small settlements of tourist value is a problem all-European. Experts believe, that the aiming at tourist success contrary to comfort of radical inhabitants will soon deprive romantic city on water of its primordial charm and will transform it either into a museum, or into the copy of the noisy Disneyland.
Already the glorified “local” gondoliers make up to 40 % from the total seasonal workers who have arrived here to earn additional money.
The main characteristic parameter demonstrates that now there are hardly more than 700 inhabited apartments in the Venetian center, thus 230 hotels have been reconstructed from public buildings.
It is not clear whether the XXI century will become the century of destruction of Venice. It depends not only on will and desire of local residents, whose population is continuing to decrease, but it also depends on the decisions, which should be accepted at the global state level.