To some locals, Jeff Bezos’ Venice wedding is a symbol of what’s draining their city
Venice now hosts more tourists than residents on most days.
Amid a wider wave of anti-tourist sentiment in Europe, the spotlight is set to fall on Venice this week as Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez tie the knot in Venice in a multiday celebration — reportedly involving a handful of celebrities, historic venues, and a fleet of water taxis.
But not everyone is in a celebratory mood.
Last week, local protesters rallied in town squares and hung “No Space for Bezos” banners from the iconic Rialto Bridge. Some criticized Amazon’s impact on local businesses, while others pointed to Bezos’ ties to President Trump and his trade policies. For most, however, the wedding is about the long-simmering problem of overtourism, which has flooded the city’s iconic waterways with Instagram-snapping day-trippers, slowly pushing its own residents out.
According to the Municipality of Venice, the population in its historic center has steadily dropped, now below 50,000 and just above a quarter of its 1950 peak. The exodus began during Italy’s postwar economic boom, when locals left for more modern amenities on the mainland.
However, the outflow has only accelerated in recent decades as local industry faded and tourism took over, reshaping Venice into a city built for outsiders: housing is being squeezed by the rise of short-term rentals — Airbnb listings now top 8,300 — and basic services like grocery stores and clinics have given way to souvenir shops. In 2024, ~75,000 visitors entered the historic center daily, far outnumbering residents.
To control the growing traffic, the city introduced a €5 day-tripper fee last year, doubling it to €10 for late bookings in 2025 — but critics say it’s done little to ease crowding. Meanwhile, city officials have defended the Bezos wedding, suggesting its high-profile guests could spend more and support local vendors better than the average tourist.
