The Economics of Burano

A multi-model AI analysis · February 2026

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\n Voice: Paige · ElevenLabs v3\n 7:29\n

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Key Findings

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The Real Economy

The travel narrative says lace and colorful houses. The economic reality: fishing is Burano’s primary productive economy. The Cooperativa San Marco generates €5.0–5.4M annual revenue with 90–150 workers. This single cooperative is the island’s largest employer.

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Lace: A Museum Program

Burano lace — punto in aria — is effectively dead as an industry. The Comune di Venezia’s 2025 training program has 10 trainees. No count of working lacemakers was found despite extensive search. What tourists buy is almost entirely machine-made imports from China and Southeast Asia.

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Retail Substitution, Not Counterfeiting

Unlike Murano glass (which has a regional trademark), Burano lace has no certification system. Imported lace is sold under the ambient brand of “Burano lace” without technically claiming local origin. Same brand-production decoupling, different legal mechanism — and harder to fight.

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The Colorful Houses

Not tradition — zoning regulation. Article 74 of the Piano del Colore requires municipal approval for any paint change. Residents bear the compliance cost; tourism captures the value.

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Population Collapse

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Year	Population	Change
1991	3,824	—
2001	3,267	−14.6%
2011	2,658	−18.6%
2021	2,218	−16.5%

42% decline over 30 years. At this trajectory, Burano falls below 2,000 within a few years.

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Burano vs. Murano

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	Murano	Burano
Heritage craft	Glass — wounded but alive (~650 workers)	Lace — effectively dead (10 trainees)
Productive anchor	Glass industry	Fishing cooperative (€5M+)
Brand problem	Counterfeiting (trademark exists)	Retail substitution (no trademark)
Demographic trend	Declining	Declining (42% over 30 years)

Burano’s heritage craft is in worse shape, but its productive anchor — commercial fishing — may actually be slowing the population decline. Those 90–150 fishing jobs require physical lagoon presence, creating a floor of families who must live on or near the island.

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