There will be a big change in store when the European cruise industry returns to full throttle.

On Wednesday, the Italian government banned large cruise ships and container ships from entering Venice’s city center, the BBC and Reuters reported.

Instead, they must dock at Porto Marghera, an industrial port located about 6 miles from their previous stop at St. Mark’s Square. The rule applies to passenger ships weighing over 40,000 gross tons, according to the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport. 

In a tweet, Culture minister Dario Franceschini called the cruise ship ban a fair decision that has been awaited for years

Calls for a cruise ship ban reached a fever pitch in 2019 when an out-of-control cruise ship rammed into a dock and a tourist river boat on the Giudecca Canal, injuring five people. 

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