Billionaire envoy’s superyacht diplomacy sparks protests in Venice

U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta has sparked controversy with a two-month diplomatic tour of Italian coastal cities aboard his private $450 million superyacht, as part of events marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

Fertitta, a Texas-based billionaire whose business empire includes the Houston Rockets, Golden Nugget casinos and Landry’s restaurants, is visiting 13 cities including Palermo, Venice, Genoa and Trieste. His 117-metre vessel, Boardwalk, features a swimming pool, mini-golf course and helipads, and is hosting politicians, business leaders and military officials during the trip, as per the Financial Times.

The U.S. Embassy in Rome said before the tour began that Fertitta “will personally fund the Boardwalk’s trip,” adding it would allow him to “connect personally with Italian people along Italy’s coastline.” Fertitta, whose grandparents emigrated from Sicily, also visited the town of Cefalù.

The initiative comes amid strained U.S.-Italy relations following recent verbal attacks by U.S. President Donald Trump on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, once considered a close ally.

The tour has drawn criticism in Italy over the scale and cost of security measures required. Authorities have deployed boats and helicopters from the coastguard, financial police and port authorities to protect the ambassador and his vessel.

Luana Zanella of the Green Left Alliance criticised the operation in parliament, calling the tour on a “gigantic, ultra-luxurious” yacht a “diplomatic vacation” at the expense of Italy’s finances. “This display of opulence is not right,” she said.

Valentino Valentini, Italy’s vice-minister of business and industry, said no cost estimate was available but stressed Italy was obligated under the Vienna Convention to ensure the safety of foreign diplomats, including providing “the provision of a special guard” when required. He said Fertitta had been classified as a high-risk target entitled to “first-level exceptional protection” and that the yacht qualified for protection as his temporary residence and venue for official meetings.

The Boardwalk arrived in Venice on Friday, July 17, where the billionaire ambassador was met by protests as part of his coastal diplomacy tour marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. “It’s a very weird way to do diplomacy,” said activist Stella Faye. “It’s very emblematic of the political model that Trump is trying to build, joining political and economic power.”

An Italian foreign ministry official described the voyage as a cruise of “friendship and fun,” while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Fertitta was acting as an effective interlocutor with Washington, responding in an “active, sensitive and above all, consistently positive manner.”

By Tamilla Hasanova