The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has called on the Italian government to restrict access of large cruise ships to culturally and ecologically important areas, particularly Venice's saltwater lagoon.
The request was prompted by the Jan. 13 Costa Concordia accident, which has put at risk the waters of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.
The ship hit a rocky reef near the island of Giglio off the Tuscan coast. Crews will attempt to siphon 500,000 gallons of fuel from the 3,200-passenger ship.
In a letter to the Italian environment minister, Unesco's assistant director-general for culture, Francesco Bandarin, said, “The tragic accident [of the Costa Concordia] reinforces longstanding concern over the risk that large cruise liners pose to sites inscribed on Unesco’s World Heritage list, particularly the Venetian Lagoon and the Basin of San Marco.”
The letter urges the Italian government to “act quickly to develop alternative plans for maritime traffic around the World Heritage site of Venice.”
Cruise ship traffic in Venice is particularly damaging, Unesco said, because of the fragile structure of the city. The ships cause waves that erode the foundations of buildings, said Unesco.
Follow Donna Tunney on Twitter @dttravelweekly.