Venice overtourism: Jeff Bezos wedding sparks debate on city's future

Venice is caught between its cultural heritage and the pressures of mass tourism, environmental degradation, and housing shortages. The city hosts around 30 million visitors annually against fewer than 50,000 residents in the historic center. In 2024, tourist beds (49,964) outnumbered residential beds (48,951). High-profile events like the Film Festival, Carnival, and Jeff Bezos's wedding in June 2025 reinforce Venice's luxury destination image but deepen contradictions. Since 2024, an entry ticket is required, fueling the perception of Venice as a museum-city. Residents are divided: some see Bezos's wedding as an opportunity for global visibility and economic benefit, while others view it as extreme exclusion and commodification of public space. Movements like No Space for Bezos and Poveglia per Tutti resist mercification, advocating for community resources. The article argues Venice must choose between being a city to admire or to live in, emphasizing the need to preserve its human scale and daily life.