Abstract

Tourism is becoming one of the most important economic drivers in the urban context. With this in mind, several cities have tried to adapt their economies to satisfy the demands of the influx of tourism. The main consequences of this trend are the re-shaping of urban areas, with particular regard to art cities. This phenomenon is particularly evident in Venice's historical city centre. In order to better comprehend the changes that have taken place, we have put together a research based analysis of the commercial structure of the city. Particular attention has been given to comparing and contrasting the retail business over the last thirty years.