Venice Dodges UNESCO Endangered Listing After Ban On Large Ships

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in China has given Italy until next December to report back on efforts to preserve Venice's ecosystem and heritage.

Venice avoided being named a world heritage site in danger by UNESCO on Thursday, just weeks after Italy moved to ban large cruise ships from sailing into the city centre. The city has been on UNESCO's heritage list since 1987, but the UN body warned last month of the need for "more sustainable tourism management", recommending that Venice be added to its endangered list. The World Heritage Committee meeting in Fuzhou, China, cited Italy's recent ban and gave Italian authorities until next December to report back on efforts to preserve the city's  ecosystem and heritage. Italy's Culture Minister Dario Franceschini welcomed the decision, but said "attention on Venice must remain high", underlying the need to identify a "sustainable development path".