Hotel bookings in Venice have dropped by nearly half following the unprecedented flooding in November, according to the city's hoteliers association. The exceptionally high tide, which peaked at 1.87 metres on 12 November, has led to a 45% decline in reservations, with many tourists cancelling trips due to fears of further flooding.
Vittorio Bonacini, chief of the Association of Venetian Hoteliers, described the drop as 'unprecedented', noting that it exceeded the impact of the 9/11 attacks. 'We recorded a peak of 45% cancellations in the last 30 days and had to cancel events, conferences and major initiatives planned for next year,' he said.
Bonacini attributed the downturn to widespread misconceptions about the flooding. He said the city is more than a metre above sea level and that the high water level was only 30cm in parts of the old city. The historic tide lasted just 1.5 hours before conditions normalised.
Despite the drop, Venice remains a major tourist destination, with over 31 million visitors last year. However, only 11.5 million stayed in hotels in the historic centre, while 20 million were day-trippers.
