Nice, France Weighs Benefits of Lifting Large Cruise Ship Ban Amid Economic Pressures
Christian Estrosi, the Mayor of Nice, France, has altered his previous decision to ban large cruise ships from docking in the city. In January, Estrosi enacted a decree that prohibited vessels carrying more than 900 passengers from accessing Nice and the nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer, citing concerns over overtourism and environmental impacts.
While this ban was supported by environmental advocates, it faced significant criticism from local businesses and the cruise sector, who expressed concerns about potential losses in tourism revenue. In light of the backlash, Estrosi introduced a revised solution that would permit ships with up to 2,500 passengers to anchor in the bay and tender their guests ashore. Meanwhile, larger boats would instead dock at other ports like Cannes or Marseille, and vessels with fewer than 450 passengers would remain allowed to dock in Nice. Furthermore, the new policy restricts cruise ship arrivals to one per day.
This compromise aims to strike a balance between addressing public health issues and supporting local economic needs. The port authority mentioned that the new plan would enable approximately 65 out of 90 scheduled cruise calls for the summer of 2025, contrasting sharply with the anticipated 70% decrease in cruise tourist arrivals that the initial ban would have caused.
The cruise industry, represented by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), expressed astonishment at the initial ban, noting that no large ships had plans to dock in Nice that year and only a few were expected to anchor at Villefranche-sur-Mer. CLIA reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable tourism and ongoing partnerships with ports and local authorities.
This situation underscores the ongoing discussions in Mediterranean port cities about managing the economic benefits from tourism while addressing environmental and social challenges associated with large cruise ships. Other cities, such as Venice and Barcelona, have similarly begun implementing regulations aimed at mitigating these impacts.
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