Responsible Tourists in Venice

Each stakeholder’s contribution is important for reducing plastic pollution. Aside from local communities, public bodies and private companies, travellers, especially when massive in number, leave a large footprint on touristic sites and cities such as Venice. One way to decrease the amount of plastic litter produced is to encourage them to limit the excessive consumption of single-use plastics, like single-use drinking bottles, which are too often abandoned alongside canal banks and bridges and fall easily into the water.

 

To respond to this situation Venice Lagoon Plastic Free and Trafalgar – one of the largest tour operators globally who specialize in responsible travel experiences and having a positive impact on the communities they visit – have partnered in the “Plastic Free Venice” programme for responsible tourism and experience.
This aims to change visitors’ approach in Venice towards reducing single-use plastics through a hands-on experience of learning, awareness, and adopting best practices.

During their stay in Venice, Trafalgar tour groups have the opportunity to meet with Venice Lagoon Plastic Free volunteers, who introduce them to the issue of marine waste, single-use plastic pollution in Venice, and actions to mitigate this impact. Alongside raising awareness, these meetings encourage tourists to engage in refilling practices by using glass bottles provided as a sustainable alternative to disposable plastic bottles.

In collaboration with the Venetian association Venice Tap Water, tourists receive an online map of 141 Venetian fountains and information about the excellent quality of drinking water, which is often unknown by passing tourists.

On the link below is a map of drinking water fountains in Venice which can be used to refill bottles instead of purchasing a new one. We invite all visitors to be responsible while staying in Venice, to use these fountains and support our efforts in keeping Venice and its lagoon pristine.

Map of Drinking Water Fountains in Venice

Moreover, Venice Lagoon Plastic Free is proud to have embarked on this awareness journey in the hospitality sector and to have contributed to the discussion for the development and approval of the handbook for Plastic Smart Tourism in Venice.
Indeed, Venice joined the WWF’s global “Plastic Smart Cities” initiative in 2021 to adopt practices that prevent, minimize, and manage plastic waste and has launched an awareness campaign aimed at reducing single-use and unnecessary plastics within the tourism sector.

“Venezia Turismo Plastic Smart”

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