Italy is facing a supply crisis that could severely impact one of its most popular tourist attractions.
Venice’s gondoliers and their sleek black boats are one of the most iconic images of the city.
It is almost unthinkable to go to Venice and not take a ride in one of the gondolas, that give visitors a unique perspective of the city.
With more and more tourists visiting, the demand for a gondola ride has never been as high.
The city received 5.5 million tourists in 2023, despite efforts from the city council to curb the influx of visitors by enforcing a tourist entry tax.
However, the number of gondoliers is slowly dwindling with fewer younger people taking up the profession as the older generation retires.
Andrea Balbi, the president of Venice’s gondoliers’ association, told The Guardian: “There’s a generational change: people retire and need to be replaced.”
Gondoliers were once a community of thousands, but today there are only 450 of them.
The tradition used to be passed on from one generation to the next – specifically from father to son.
Now, those wanting to pursue a living as a gondolier must take a training course on the “Art of the Gondolier”.
They must possess a high school education, be able to swim, and have a medical certificate proving their fitness.
The actual training involves mastering rowing skills and taking lessons on the history and culture of Venice.
Venice has tried to attract more recruits by allowing women and all EU citizens and not just Italians to apply for the role.
Despite the struggle to attract younger people to the profession, Balbi is confident the profession will never die out.
He said: “Venice would need to die before this profession dies.”
“People who apply themselves to this profession do so because they are in love with Venice and are convinced that they are bringing forward the traditions of the gondola and the city.”
