Venice Bans Recreational Boats from Canals

Visitors to the picturesque city of Venice will see fewer kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards, thanks to a new measure banning the recreational boats from the Grand Canal there, according to a report from The Local.

But not to worry, the city’s famed gondolas and other traditional Venetian boats owned by residents will still grace the waterways.

The new rule on Venice’s canal traffic comes after the 2013 death of a German tourist, whose gondola collided with a ferry.

In addition to the Grand Canal, the ban will affect the Cannaregio Canal and other routes used by Venice’s waterborne public transport. Until now, these boats were only prohibited during peak travel hours, but the ban went permanent as of Aug. 1.

This isn’t the first regulation Venice passed to protect its canals. Late last year, a governmental committee voted to ban large cruise ships from the water in front of the famed St. Mark’s Square. Ships weighing more than 55,000 tons will no longer be able to dock in the city’s Giudecca Canal, but instead at the industrial port of Marghera, located just northwest of Venice, affecting Carnival Cruise Line, all ships from Royal Caribbean aside from Empress of the Seas, and all ships from Norwegian Cruise Line.

The decision was an effort to  combat overcrowding with tourists while keeping the positive impact of cruising alive in the city’s economy.