Skift Take
From overtourism to a stark absence of tourists, tourism dynamics have rocked Venice and its citizens. The new flood barrier should at least provide some assurance for awhile that at least the tides won't sink the city's prospects.
A long-delayed flood barrier successfully protected Venice from a high tide for the first time on Saturday, bringing relief and smiles to the lagoon city following years of repeated inundations.
"Today, everything is dry. We stopped the sea," city mayor Luigi Brugnaro told reporters after raising a glass in celebration with some of the engineers and officials responsible for the multi-billion euro project known as Mose.
"Lots of bad things have happened here, but now something wonderful has happened," he said.
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