The Guardian. With a city administration and local Port Authority together touting the rewards possible from expansion of Nanaimo’s cruise ship industry, it is easier to see the recent about-face in Venice’s aspirations as a cautionary tale. It is relevant, not because Nanaimo might actually become a primo cruise ship destination (although there are clearly a number of people in town who dream of that developing), but for the point it makes: be careful what you wish for. Venice pursued/enabled this form of tourism as the mainstay of its monetary economy and now its citizens/community have realized the damage is greater than the benefits. That aspect makes it a cautionary tale for Nanaimo with its own dreams of expanding its economy/tax base in a variety of different ways. We need to be mindful of the total costs to our community if any of these initiatives were actually to become successful. [ARTICLE LINK]