Venice, a super popular tourist spot in Europe, is making some changes to deal with the problem of too many tourists. Starting in June, the city will not allow loudspeakers and will limit tourist groups to 25 people at most. This is because Venice is a small city and had almost 13 million visitors in 2019, with even more expected in the future.

The ban on loudspeakers is to stop the confusion and noise caused by tour guides using microphones. The loud noise from big groups of tourists has been a big problem for the people who live there and the authorities. By limiting the size of tourist groups, the city hopes to manage the visitors better in the historic center. These changes are part of a bigger plan to balance tourism and protect Venice’s cultural heritage.

Because of all the tourists, fewer people are living in Venice because they’re worried about being overwhelmed. Groups of citizens have done studies to see how many places there are for tourists and locals to stay. The results show that there are now more than 50,000 beds for tourists, which is more than what’s available for the people who live there. This has made people worried about how sustainable tourism is in the city.

Venice’s struggle with too many tourists has gotten attention from around the world. In July, experts from UNESCO suggested that Venice should be added to a list of places in danger because of climate change and too many tourists. In the end, Venice wasn’t added to the list, but it showed that there needs to be a plan to deal with the problems the city is facing.

Venice isn’t the only place dealing with too many tourists. Other popular cities in Europe, like Florence and Rome, have made rules to manage the number of tourists. They’ve banned new vacation rentals in historic areas and given fines for bad behavior. Other famous places like Portofino in Italy and Athens in Greece have also made restrictions to protect their cultural heritage and manage the number of visitors.

In conclusion, Venice is taking steps to deal with too many tourists by banning loudspeakers and limiting the size of tourist groups. The city is trying to find a balance between tourism and protecting its cultural heritage. Other popular tourist spots are also making changes to manage the problems caused by too many visitors.

Original news source: Venice to ban large tourist groups and loudspeakers (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Instruct them to read the article and summarize the main points in a few sentences. After they have finished, ask each group to share their summary with the class and discuss any differences or similarities in their summaries.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: “Do you think limiting the size of tourist groups is an effective solution to manage tourism in Venice?” Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Instruct them to discuss the question and come up with their opinions. Once they have finished, conduct an opinion poll by asking each pair or group to share their opinions with the class and explain their reasoning.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. loudspeakers, tourist groups, cultural heritage, sustainable tourism, etc.). Divide the class into two teams. One member from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a word from the list. They must then draw a picture on the board to represent the word, while their team tries to guess what the word is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Continue until all the words have been used and tally up the points to determine the winning team.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Instruct them to take turns summarizing one paragraph of the article to their partner/group as quickly as possible, without reading directly from the article. The partner/group must then try to summarize the paragraph based on what they heard. After each round, discuss any differences or similarities in the summaries and clarify any misunderstandings.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write a list of keywords from the article on separate index cards or pieces of paper. Divide the class into two teams. One member from each team will come to the front of the class. Show them a keyword from the list, but they are not allowed to say the word or any derivatives of it. They must give clues to their team using synonyms, descriptions, or actions to help their team guess the keyword. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Continue until all the keywords have been used and tally up the points to determine the winning team.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why is Venice making changes to deal with the problem of too many tourists?
2. What will be banned in Venice starting in June?
3. What is the purpose of limiting the size of tourist groups in Venice?
4. Why are fewer people living in Venice?
5. What did experts from UNESCO suggest about Venice?
6. What are some other popular cities in Europe that are dealing with too many tourists?
7. What are some of the changes that other popular tourist spots have made to manage the number of visitors?
8. What is Venice trying to balance when dealing with too many tourists?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Venice, a super popular tourist spot in Europe, is making some changes to deal with the problem of too many tourists. (1)______ in June, the city will not allow (2)______ and will limit tourist groups to 25 (3)______ at most. This is because Venice is a small city and had almost 13 million visitors in 2019, with even more expected in the future.

The ban on loudspeakers is to stop the confusion and noise caused by tour guides (4)______ microphones. The loud noise from big groups of tourists has been a big problem for the people who live there and the authorities. By limiting the size of tourist groups, the city (5)______ to manage the visitors better in the historic center. These changes are part of a bigger plan to (6)______ tourism and protect Venice’s (7)______ heritage.

Because of all the (8)______, fewer people are living in Venice because they’re worried about being overwhelmed. Groups of citizens have done studies to see how many places there are for tourists and locals to stay. The results show that there are now more than 50,000 beds for tourists, which is more than what’s available for the people who live there. This has made people worried about how (9)______ tourism is in the city.

Venice’s struggle with too many tourists has gotten attention from around the world. In July, experts from (10)______ suggested that Venice should be added to a list of places in danger because of climate change and too many tourists. In the end, Venice wasn’t added to the list, but it showed that there (11)______ to be a plan to deal with the problems the city is facing.

Venice isn’t the only place dealing with too many tourists. Other popular (12)______ in Europe, like Florence and Rome, have made rules to manage the number of tourists. They’ve banned new (13)______ rentals in historic areas and given fines for bad behavior. Other famous places like Portofino in Italy and Athens in Greece have also made (14)______ to protect their cultural heritage and manage the number of visitors.

In conclusion, Venice is taking steps to deal with too many tourists by banning loudspeakers and limiting the size of tourist (15)______. The city is trying to find a balance between tourism and protecting its cultural heritage. Other popular tourist spots are also (16)______ changes to manage the problems caused by too many visitors.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a tourist group and why do you think Venice is limiting the size of them?
2. How would you feel if you lived in Venice and there were constantly loud and noisy tourist groups outside your home?
3. Do you think it’s fair that there are more beds available for tourists than for the people who live in Venice? Why or why not?
4. What do you think could be the consequences of too many tourists for a city like Venice?
5. How do you think the ban on loudspeakers will help manage the visitors in Venice?
6. Do you think it’s important for cities to protect their cultural heritage? Why or why not?
7. What are some other popular tourist spots that you know of that are facing similar problems with too many visitors?
8. If you were in charge of managing tourism in a popular city, what rules or restrictions would you put in place to manage the number of tourists?
9. How do you think tourism can impact the environment and climate change?
10. Have you ever been to a place that was overcrowded with tourists? How did it make you feel?
11. Do you think it’s the responsibility of tourists to be respectful and considerate when visiting popular destinations? Why or why not?
12. What are some ways that you think tourists can help support the local economy of a city they are visiting?
13. How do you think the COVID-19 pandemic has affected tourism in popular destinations like Venice?
14. Do you think it’s possible for a city to find a balance between tourism and protecting its cultural heritage? Why or why not?
15. If you could visit any popular tourist spot in the world, where would you go and why?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. overwhelmed
2. authorities
3. sustainable
4. heritage
5. restrictions
6. fines
7. balance
8. manage
9. historic
10. tourists
11. residents
12. cultural
13. attention
14. behavior
15. banned

Meanings:
(A) Being noticed or paid special attention to
(B) Keeping things in a steady and equal state
(C) Rules that limit what people can do
(D) People who visit places for fun or interest
(E) Money that you have to pay as a punishment for breaking a rule
(F) People who are in charge and make decisions
(G) Feeling like something is too much to handle
(H) Able to be maintained or kept going over time
(I) Related to the arts, ideas, and customs of a society
(J) Related to old and important times or things from the past
(K) To control or take care of something
(L) Officially not allowed or stopped from happening
(M) The way someone acts or conducts themselves
(N) Traditions and things from the past that are considered important to preserve
(O) People who live in a particular place
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is Venice making changes to deal with too many tourists?
(a) The city wants to attract more tourists.
(b) The city wants to make more money from tourism.
(c) The city is not interested in protecting its cultural heritage.
(d) The city is small and had almost 13 million visitors in 2019.

2. What will be banned in Venice starting in June?
(a) Tourist groups
(b) Microphones
(c) Visitors
(d) Loudspeakers

3. What is the purpose of limiting the size of tourist groups?
(a) To manage the visitors better in the historic center.
(b) To encourage more tourists to visit Venice.
(c) To make it easier for tour guides to use microphones.
(d) To increase the number of people living in Venice.

4. Why are fewer people living in Venice?
(a) They are worried about being overwhelmed by tourists.
(b) They prefer to live in other cities in Europe.
(c) They don’t like the cultural heritage of Venice.
(d) They can’t find jobs in Venice.

5. What did experts from UNESCO suggest about Venice?
(a) It should be removed from the list of places in danger.
(b) It should be added to a list of places in danger.
(c) It should be given more tourists.
(d) It should be given more cultural heritage.

6. What have other popular cities in Europe done to manage the number of tourists?
(a) Given fines for bad behavior.
(b) Made restrictions to protect their cultural heritage.
(c) Banned new vacation rentals in historic areas.
(d) All of the above.

7. What is Venice trying to balance?
(a) Tourism and making money.
(b) Tourism and attracting more visitors.
(c) Tourism and protecting its cultural heritage.
(d) Tourism and building more hotels.

8. What is the main idea of the article?
(a) Venice is not interested in protecting its cultural heritage.
(b) Venice is making changes to deal with too many tourists.
(c) Venice is banning loudspeakers and microphones.
(d) Venice is the only place dealing with too many tourists.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Venice’s struggle with too few tourists has gained global attention.
2. Tourist groups will be limited to a maximum of 25 people.
3. Other European cities, such as Florence and Rome, have implemented rules to manage the number of tourists.
4. Loudspeakers will not be banned in Venice to increase noise and confusion caused by tour guides.
5. The city will not implement new regulations in June to address the issue of overcrowding.
6. Venice is a popular tourist destination in Europe.
7. The city’s goal is not to manage the influx of tourists in the historic center.
8. Venice had almost 13 million visitors in 2019 and expects even more in the future.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. Why is Venice making changes to deal with the problem of too many tourists?
2. What is the purpose of the ban on loudspeakers in Venice?
3. Why are fewer people living in Venice?
4. What did experts from UNESCO suggest about Venice?
5. Besides Venice, what are some other popular cities in Europe that are dealing with too many tourists?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why is Venice making changes to deal with the problem of too many tourists?
Venice is making changes because it has had a huge number of tourists, which is causing problems for the city and its residents.

2. What will be banned in Venice starting in June?
Starting in June, Venice will ban the use of loudspeakers by tour guides.

3. What is the purpose of limiting the size of tourist groups in Venice?
The purpose of limiting the size of tourist groups is to better manage the visitors in the historic center of Venice and reduce the noise and confusion caused by large groups.

4. Why are fewer people living in Venice?
Fewer people are living in Venice because they are worried about being overwhelmed by the large number of tourists.

5. What did experts from UNESCO suggest about Venice?
Experts from UNESCO suggested that Venice should be added to a list of places in danger due to climate change and too many tourists.

6. What are some other popular cities in Europe that are dealing with too many tourists?
Some other popular cities in Europe that are dealing with too many tourists include Florence and Rome in Italy, as well as Portofino and Athens.

7. What are some of the changes that other popular tourist spots have made to manage the number of visitors?
Other popular tourist spots have made changes such as banning new vacation rentals in historic areas and imposing fines for bad behavior.

8. What is Venice trying to balance when dealing with too many tourists?
Venice is trying to balance the needs of tourism with the protection of its cultural heritage.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Starting
(2) loudspeakers
(3) people
(4) using
(5) hopes
(6) balance
(7) cultural
(8) tourists
(9) sustainable
(10) UNESCO
(11) needs
(12) cities
(13) vacation
(14) restrictions
(15) groups
(16) making
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. overwhelmed
Answer: (G) Feeling like something is too much to handle

2. authorities
Answer: (F) People who are in charge and make decisions

3. sustainable
Answer: (H) Able to be maintained or kept going over time

4. heritage
Answer: (N) Traditions and things from the past that are considered important to preserve

5. restrictions
Answer: (C) Rules that limit what people can do

6. fines
Answer: (E) Money that you have to pay as a punishment for breaking a rule

7. balance
Answer: (B) Keeping things in a steady and equal state

8. manage
Answer: (K) To control or take care of something

9. historic
Answer: (J) Related to old and important times or things from the past

10. tourists
Answer: (D) People who visit places for fun or interest

11. residents
Answer: (O) People who live in a particular place

12. cultural
Answer: (I) Related to the arts, ideas, and customs of a society

13. attention
Answer: (A) Being noticed or paid special attention to

14. behavior
Answer: (M) The way someone acts or conducts themselves

15. banned
Answer: (L) Officially not allowed or stopped from happening
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why is Venice making changes to deal with too many tourists?
Answer: (d) The city is small and had almost 13 million visitors in 2019.

2. What will be banned in Venice starting in June?
Answer: (d) Loudspeakers

3. What is the purpose of limiting the size of tourist groups?
Answer: (a) To manage the visitors better in the historic center.

4. Why are fewer people living in Venice?
Answer: (a) They are worried about being overwhelmed by tourists.

5. What did experts from UNESCO suggest about Venice?
Answer: (b) It should be added to a list of places in danger.

6. What have other popular cities in Europe done to manage the number of tourists?
Answer: (c) Banned new vacation rentals in historic areas.

7. What is Venice trying to balance?
Answer: (c) Tourism and protecting its cultural heritage.

8. What is the main idea of the article?
Answer: (b) Venice is making changes to deal with too many tourists.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Venice’s struggle with too few tourists has gained global attention. (Answer: False)
2. Tourist groups will be limited to a maximum of 25 people. (Answer: True)
3. Other European cities, such as Florence and Rome, have implemented rules to manage the number of tourists. (Answer: True)
4. Loudspeakers will not be banned in Venice to increase noise and confusion caused by tour guides. (Answer: False)
5. The city will not implement new regulations in June to address the issue of overcrowding. (Answer: False)
6. Venice is a popular tourist destination in Europe. (Answer: True)
7. The city’s goal is not to manage the influx of tourists in the historic center. (Answer: False)
8. Venice had almost 13 million visitors in 2019 and expects even more in the future. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧