Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is sailing into the city on his $500 million superyacht to marry his fiancée, former journalist Lauren Sanchez
Locals in Venice are staging protests against the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez as they prepare for a three–day celebration in the city.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is sailing into the city on his $500 million superyacht to marry his fiancée, former journalist Lauren Sanchez on Tuesday.
The nuptials will last until the end of the week as a huge Hollywood and A-list guest list is expected to descend on the Italian city that has long suffered from the effects of both climate change and overtourism.
In recent years, measures like entrance fees and limits on tour group sizes have been introduced to manage the influx of tourists–that puts a huge strain on the city’s environment and infrastructure–but the problem persists.
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The City of Venice confirmed in March that it would be hosting the huge event–which is expected to cost anywhere from $11.5 million to upwards of $21.5 million.
At the time, mayor Luigi Brugnaro said the city was “mutually working and supporting the organizers to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city.”
Protestor Marta Sottoriva told the Independent that allowing the billionaire to have his wedding in Venice carries the message “a city can be sold to the highest bidder with the most money.”
About 30 of Venice’s 280 water taxis have been reserved for the weekend, city hall officials said in a statement. Meanwhile, the five major luxury hotels along the Grand Canal, comprising the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, the St. Regis Venice, the Gritti Palace, the Hotel Danieli and the Grand Aman Hotel have all been booked out through the end of June.
Wedding organizers are also reported to have booked the entire island of San Giorgio Maggiore, which is located across from Venice’s famed St. Mark’s Square.
The pair announced their engagement in May 2023, when Bezos reportedly proposed to his then girlfriend with a 30-carat pink diamond ring estimated to be worth between $3 million and $5 million. The pair began dating in the mid 2010s but only went public in 2019 after separating from their spouses.
Exact details of the event have been kept under wraps, fuelling the speculation and a media frenzy.
Meanwhile city officials have sought to debunk some of the more ostentatious reports and maintained that the influx of money will be good for Venice.
But Sottoriva said: “We know events like these only benefit a small group of people — luxury hotel owners, taxi drivers, and catering services.
“The jobs created are often precarious, without contracts, and people are not paid a lot more than usual. So there’s nothing benefiting the local economy.”
The protests, which are expected to escalate during the nuptials themselves, come as many across Southern Europe have fought back against overtourism.
In Barcelona, protestors have been seen this month spraying tourists with waterguns under the banner of “tourists go home” as part of a co-ordinated campaign to confront the issue.