This summer I toured Italy with my family, stopping in Bozen Bolzano, Venice, Petritoli, and Rome. On our two day tour of Venice we ate gelato, pizza, and pasta. We walked the streets and lost ourselves in the cobblestone paths and crowded canals of Italy. We took a boat ride that may or may not have induced sea sickness. And lastly we took a two hour tour led by an English speaking local.  

As we learned more and more about the city it became apparent that things have greatly changed in the past hundred years. Tourism has taken over the island and Venice is no longer the city it once was. In preparation for this trip I dreamed of the Venetian culture that I had read so much about; to my disappointment there were more restaurants like McDonalds than the quaint family owned restaurants that I had envisioned.

Our tour guide mentioned to us that the population of Venetians is decreasing. More families are moving away from the city in hopes to give their families better opportunities. As the city’s main profit is tourism, most of the jobs are street vending, waiters, and boat drivers. The largest percent of the Venetian population are women 65 and up, this included our tour guide who told us she was too stubborn to leave. Most of the buildings in Italy are not owned by Italians, but by Chinese and Middle Easterns. Many of the buildings that are gorgeous and classic Venetian style on the outside, are very different on the inside. As outsiders buy buildings, they turn into museums and hotels. The mystery of what lies behind the walls is no longer so exciting, as tours are open daily to the public.

Before dinner one night in the town, my family and I walked through the square in front of St. Mark’s Basilica. As we passed through, we had to push our way through a hot and sweaty crowd of tourists who had been waiting all day long to enter the church. The square used to be known for concerts, celebrations, and hangings (luckily we don’t have to worry about that one anymore), but now it has been reduced to another tourist trap that locals avoid. We passed many citizens who insisted on selling us meaningless junk that could also be found in the states. We were expecting homemade trinkets and Venetian cultural objects that would spark our interest. Instead we pushed our way past men selling selfie sticks and plastic phone cases.

As our tour came closer to an end, we grew to love our silly and friendly tour guide. She truly gave us wisdom about the city that we could not have attained from anyone else. We paused in the corner of the street, tucked out of the way, and she began to explain to us the masks that Venice is so well known for. All of a sudden, she was rudely shoved by a passing stranger. My family and I were shocked, but she simply rolled her eyes and explained to us that this kind of thing happened all the time now. While Venetians are known for their friendliness, the newcomers are not. Many of the people who have migrated to Venice are Eastern Europeans, and according to our tour guide, they are not friendly. She explained to use that in Venice, people are accustomed to yelling out “Buongiorno!” when passing people in the streets. As of late, she has stopped because no one has been responding back to her. The friendly culture of Venice has completely change because of inconsiderate outsiders. As much as Venetians want to share their culture with you, they want it to be respected and ask that you do so when you visit. During the long walk back to our hotel, my family called out “Ciao” and “Buongiorno” to everyone we passed. We could tell it brightened some of the Venetians’ day that we were paying respect to their culture. Through our exchanges we even met a few friendly Venetians who were happy to welcome us to their city.

This trip was a reminder to me how different each culture is from my own. It also reminded me that being self aware is extremely important when visiting a different country. I learned so much more about the city I was in by following by example of the native citizens. Overall it was an amazing trip, not only did I eat wonderful food, see new places, and meet new people, but I got a once in a lifetime chance to communicate with a new culture and learn respect for their way of life.