The Italian government has announced a ban on cruise ships in central Venice from August 1. According to the "Around the World" portal, the measure aims to preserve the historic area of the city, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The same portal also states that the decision had already been advanced last March, but that it had been nothing more than a mere process of intentions.

Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini explained that this measure "could not be postponed" and had to be taken before the next session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Heritage Committee, which will study the state of conservation of Venice, known as the "city of canals.

In 2012, the UN agency had already asked the Italian government to look for alternatives to maritime traffic in the Venice lagoon area.

In fact, stopping the passage of large ships was one of the conditions later imposed to avoid being removed from the list of cities considered World Heritage Sites, a classification it obtained in 1987.

Last June, UNESCO indicated that the Italian city could join the list of heritage sites at risk because of the threats it still faced. One of these threats was the fact that there are still many cruise ships docking in the city center.

The ban on cruise ships in Venice is the result of a number of protests by activists over several decades, due to the heavy traffic of large tourist vessels in the area and its safety and environmental consequences.