Bad Ischler high school students experience overtourism in Venice up close!

Bad Ischler high school students experience overtourism in Venice up close!

Bad Ischl, Österreich - A week full of adventure and knowledge, the students in class 6a of the BG/BRG Bad Ischl in northern Italy experienced. As part of their project week, Venice and Verona were on the program, where they dealt intensively with the challenges of mass tourism. The idea behind this exciting project? Giving young people the opportunity to slip into the role of city guides and to present them independently researched topics. This practical approach combines specialist knowledge with living experiences on site, such as meindezirk.at reported.

in Venice, a city that is flooded every day by tens of thousands of tourists, the students were able to discover many facets of the “overtourism”. During the tour, they not only learned interesting details about the history of places and buildings, but also came into contact with the real problem of tourism. Particular attention was paid to the causes of overtourism and the specific challenges with which the city is confronted. Since April 25, 2023, visitors have had to pay five euros to enter the historical center-a measure that was introduced to the problems caused by mass tourism

city tours and exciting experiences

The program of the project week was varied and included a boat tour to the island of Murano, in which the students were able to experience the art of glass brass there. After the city tours during the day and night, a midnight walk over the Markusplatz was a highlight of the tour. The young people also had time to sit back and enjoy Italian food - a welcome change to the intensive program.

A short visit to Verona rounded off the week. Here the focus was on tourist city marketing in historical cities. The students took part in a city tour that deepened their knowledge and gave them insights into the strategies that use cities to attract visitors and at the same time maintain the quality of life of the locals.

The balance between tourism and quality of life

The problem of mass tourism not only affects the cities visited, but can also be observed worldwide. Experts and locals have been warning of the negative effects for years that the massive rush of tourists on the infrastructure and the environment. In a current report, the Federal Environment Agency emphasizes how important an ecologically sustainable transformation of city tourism is. Paths have to be found to control the use of resources and reduce the environmental impacts, such as Environmental Bundesamt.de

The project week of the Bad Ischler high school students has not only expanded their knowledge, but also raised awareness of the challenges that tourism brings. It is clear that the balance between economic benefit and the quality of life of the residents remains a challenge that needs to be mastered in order to preserve the beauty of these two cities for future generations.