By Lucas Rizzi and Nadedja Calado – During a visit to São Paulo, the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, said that Brazilians are “distinguished guests” and invited them to explore one of Italy’s tourist gems beyond the traditional attractions.
Brugnaro spoke to ANSA on the sidelines of a business forum promoted by consulate-Italian General in the capital of São Paulo, less than 20 days before the beginning of the testing period for the five-euro (R$27) fee against supporters of “round-trips”, a measure designed to combat predatory tourism, but which is the target of criticism in the municipality.
“Brazilians are illustrious guests, there are many people of Italian origin who go to Italy to return to their origins, visit their grandparents’ villages and then stop by Venice,” said the mayor, who has governed the city since 2015.
The city of canals is the capital of Veneto, a region from which many Italian immigrants to Brazil departed between the 19th and 20th centuries, which today serves as a driving force for grassroots tourism in the opposite direction.
“Brazilians can come to Venice not just to get to know the city, but to see the Biennale, the civic museums, a concert at La Fenice [theatre], we have world-class excellence. Brazilians should know that they are absolutely well accepted and can take an extra step, with greater familiarity. We consider them our brothers,” he added.
According to Brugnaro, Brazil used to be portrayed in the Venice art and architecture biennials in a way that was “a little old, dated, with stereotypes”. “But we intervened and now we are talking about contemporary art. Brazilians can use Venice as a stage to speak to the whole world,” he highlighted.
The city's Art Biennial begins on April 20th and, for the first time, has a Brazilian as curator: Adriano Pedrosa, who promised to put foreigners at the center of the event.
Access contribution – On April 25, Venice will begin the testing period for the access contribution of five euros for travelers who do not stay overnight in the historic center of the city, which has suffered from the effects of mass tourism for years.
The experience will encompass 29 non-sequential days until July, mainly on weekends.
“It's been 50 years since everyone has been talking about excessive tourism, and no one has ever done anything. In life, you need to have the courage to do something, to take responsibility. I think it will work, but people need to understand why,” said Brugnaro, who minimized the protests against the initiative.
“Instead of polemicizing, we leave space for democracy. We built the Mose [mobile flood barrier system], we removed the big ships from San Marco, we cleaned the canals, it is a city experiencing a new renaissance”, highlighted the mayor. Protesters already protested against the access fee last Tuesday (9) and promise a new protest on April 25th.
According to Brugnaro, the tax against “pick-and-pop” will generate more costs than revenue during the testing period, but the idea is to try to alleviate the burden of mass tourism in the city. “After 29 days of testing, we will be able to understand whether it is worth continuing and what modifications to make,” he added. (HANDLE).
