Vocabulary

 

local	struggle	find/found/found (2)
rent	rent out	Machu Picchu
flat (2)	share (2)	transform
baker	solution	dressmaker
cater	souvenir	one-by-one
seem	property	demonstrate
giant	probably	square (2)
lagoon	protest	out of scale
cruise	perceive	marble (2)
mass	annoying	think/thought/thought
symbol	scale (2)	mass tourism
ban	extra (2)	bring/brought/brought
edge	bring in	double-edged sword
sword	crowded	square (2)
crazy	probably	come/came/came
realize	outsider	come across
double

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 

Transcript

Protester: “Out! Out!”

Venetian Resident: “Venice right now is like Disneyland. If we don’t find solutions, it could be a Machu Picchu, a city with beautiful marbles, but without real life — without citizens.

Marianna Purisiol, Venetian: “A lot of properties here are being rented out to tourists. I’m nearly fifty, and I’m having to share a flat.

A lot of shops, your baker’s, your dressmakers, all the local services have been transformed, one-by-one into souvenir shops, tourists restaurants, fast-food places. Nothing seems to be catered for us anymore.”

In 1965, more than 122,000 people lived in Venice’s historic center . . .

There are fewer than 54,000 today.

Giant cruise ships have become a symbol of mass tourism.

Every year, protesters demonstrate to try to ban them from the lagoon.

Protester of Cruise Ships: “It’s not only they they bring to the city, one point five (1.5) million tourists every year, but you can perceive the fact that they are totally out of scale.

So they have become a symbol of the struggle to save Venice.”

Ben, American Tourist: “I don’t think anyone in this square is probably from Venice.”
Diana, American Tourist: “It’s kind of a double-edged sword, because they probably want the money that they bring in. But it’s also super crowded and it’s probably annoying to have so many people coming every day.”

Marianna Purisiol, Venetian: “One of the craziest things I’ve come across here is when people ask me what time Venice closes. That makes me realize that the perception of the of this town from an outsider is that it is a living museum, and we’re just extras.”

Venice municipality has launched a campaign #EnjoyRespectVenice to try to improve the coexistence between Venetians and tourists.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

 

Questions

1. Venice is a typical ordinary city. True or false? Is the speaker optimistic or pessimistic about Venice’s future?

2. Is it easy to find accommodation in Venice? Is rent and housing cheap?

3. Does Venice have regular shops and businesses? Are its shops and businesses similar to that of other towns and cities?

4. Venice has changed dramatically over the decades. Is this right or wrong? What has been the biggest change?

5. Are all local residents very proud and happy about their city’s development? What have they been doing?

6. Locals have mixed feelings about mass tourism to their city. Is this correct or incorrect?

7. Do tourists see Venice differently from locals?

 

A. I have visited Venice. Yes or no? Have your friends visited Venice?

B. Do all your friends, colleagues and neighbors want to visit Venice?

C. Are there tourist hot-spots in your city or country? Is it very famous? Do many tourists go there?

D. Is tourism good or bad? Is mass tourism entirely positive, mostly good, good and bad, in the middle, so-so, most negative or totally negative?

E. What might happen in the future?

F. Should anything be gone about (mass) tourism? What should people and governments do?