Sense of Place and Identity:
Venice Needs Sustainable Tourism
Venice is visited by millions of travellers a year,
yet it still happens to be a peaceful place of outstanding beauty.
Most of its visitors, both Italians and foreigners, plan to come to Venice
for one day only, and once in town, they just end up gathering around its ‘must-sees’,
without a program and simply “following the crowd”.
During the central hours of the day the areas in which the so called highlights are located
(namely St Mark’s Square, its waterfront, and Rialto) become the goal of too many at a time,
and may loose much of their attractiveness. This trouble must be put into perspective, though,
since it concerns only a small section of the historical city.
My tours are designed so as to limit your “crowd experience” as much as possible,
even when visiting the ‘must-see’.
I strive to favor a more authentic and sustainable approach with the city and its residents,
providing a sense of place and the joy to discover Venice’s countless, less visited hidden gems.
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Find a Sense of Place in Venice:
With a Local Guide It’s Easier
A sense of place is something which is sensed more than measured.
Historic facts and quantifiable data help you to understand the context.
A sense of place has to do with the essence, the lifestyle, the identity of a place.
A city is shaped by its history, its architectural achievements,
but also by experiences and memories.
A sense of place is provided by intangible, emotional elements
generated by human interaction over time. It is the personality of a place.
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Venice Sustainable Tourism:
Tours & Experiences with a Sense of Place
Venice has a strong identity and a distinctive character.
Exposure to its beauty is both inspiring and intoxicating. Always overwhelming.
Find a sense of place in its history, art, architecture, environmental issues, people, food.
Prefer the site-specific and the authentic and your stay will turn into a memorable, fulfilling experience.
As a professional guide and a native, I’ll bring to life the invisible threads of Venice
providing a sense of place with a tour tailored to your own passions and personal interests.
Hands on, mind on, heart on.
Experience a sense of place: this really makes a big difference:
Only then will you have the nice feeling that your trip has lasted much longer
and was definitely worth your time and expense.
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Off the Beaten Track,
Beyond the Tourist Traps
Go to Venice. There’s just nowhere like it. Don’t expect the cuisine to be anything like what you imagine Italian cuisine to be. It’s a legume-based cuisine, and you find small aquatic creatures fried in batter and pickled dishes and goodness knows what else. Drink wines from the area. Don’t go to Venice, order Chianti and expect that you’re going to get something good. Order wine from the Veneto. Try to get as far away as you can from Piazza San Marco. Look for areas of the city where there are still Venetians living. There are parts of Cannaregio where you can walk a number of streets and not come across a tourist.
John Hooper interviewed by Joshua Barone, NY Times February 5, 2015
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