August 23rd 2019, Venice. The reflection of a ‘gondola’ (typical Venetian boat) as seen in Venice’s main canal, the ‘Canal Grande’. A crowded Rialto Bridge is in the background.
Originally meant as a public transportation service, with the exponential increase in the number of tourists visiting the city the ‘gondole’ have become yet another Venice’s tourist attraction.
In Venice, floods of tourists alternate with real floods. And now the survival of the city itself is at risk. With approximately 50,000 permanent residents and almost 30 million visitors per year, Venice arguably withstands the world’s highest tourist pressure for an urban space. As if this was not enough, the seasonal floods occurring in the city are worsening year after year due to the sea level rise.