The tourist crowds have been bothering Venice for many years - especially at the carnival. But after the devastating floods last November there are far too few travelers, far too many.
Venice (AP) - Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has called on tourists to come back to the lagoon city after the devastating floods. The number of visitors has fallen, he said at the beginning of the Venice Carnival.
"The nice thing about this carnival is that there are fewer people," Brugnaro said. You could book a hotel at the last minute - which is normally not possible during the carnival season. The pictures of the flooding left the impression that Venice was destroyed. "The city is completely restored, it is more beautiful than before," Brugnaro told foreign journalists.
On November 12, a flood flooded almost the entire historic center of the Italian city of Unesco. There followed several days on which the city was repeatedly under water. Since then, hoteliers have complained about fewer bookings and incorrect information.
The carnival in the lagoon city runs until February 25th. Venice is one of the most popular tourist cities in the world and usually complains about the crowds.
Venice Carnival homepage