Nice to ban cruise ships in fight against overtourism and pollution
The mayor of Nice is moving to ban large cruise ships from docking in its port, aiming to tackle pollution and overtourism. The decision mirrors Venice's 2021 ban, introduced to protect its fragile environment and infrastructure.
Issued on: 25/01/2025 - RFI
By:Isabelle Martinetti
Mayor Christian Estrosi, of the centre-right Horizons party, announced this week during his New Year’s address that he plans to ban cruise ships exceeding 190 metres in length and carrying more than 900 passengers, starting this summer.
The ban will apply to Nice and the Villefranche-sur-Mer bay in the Alpes-Maritimes region, on France's Mediterranean coast.
Estrosi confirmed that a municipal order would be issued, effective from 1 July, instead of the initially planned date of 1 January, 2026.
Royal Caribbean's 'Icon,' world's largest cruise ship, sets sail
The United Nations Ocean Conference, which is to focus on conservation and sustainability, will take place in Nice from 9 to 13 June.
Estrosi emphasized that these measures are also part of a broader fight against overtourism. "Cruise ships that pollute and unload low-cost tourists who consume little but leave their waste behind, have no place here," he said.
Some 40 cruise ships, carrying between 900 and 5,000 passengers each, are already scheduled to dock in Nice from 1 July, with the move to banning them raising concerns in the tourism sector over lost revenue.
France unveils plan to fight 'overtourism' at its most popular attractions
The restrictions on cruise ships in Nice follow a growing trend across Europe, where several ports have either already enacted similar measures or are planning to do so.
Venice banned cruise ships in August 2021 due to concerns over pollution and damage to the city's historical infrastructure, and Barcelona closed its north terminal to cruises in October 2023. Santorini and Dubrovnik have also tightened restrictions on cruise companies, while cruise ships visiting Scottish ports will be charged a new tax.
Impact on climate
Cruise ships are known to be major polluters. According to Fanny Pointet of the European NGO Transport & Environment, in 2023 a total of 214 cruise ships visited European ports, emitting 7.4 million tonnes of CO2, "equivalent to 50,000 round-trip flights between Paris and New York".
That year, Marseille ranked as the most polluted port in France in terms of cruise activity.In 2022, 50,000 people in the city signed a petition against cruise ships, according to campaign group Stop Croisières.
Environmental protesters block French cruise liner port
Pointet added: "These emissions not only affect the climate but also degrade air quality."
The NGO suggests one solution could be to "decarbonise the industry to accelerate the ecological transition," and to impose taxes on passenger tickets that would fund environmental initiatives.
Meanwhile, environmentalists in Nice have praised Estrosi’s decision.
Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, president of the Ecologist Group at the Metropolitan Council, said: "This achievement, the result of a long fight, proves that persistence pays off. It shows that the repeated warnings have finally been heard."
However, she cautioned that the victory should not distract from "the ongoing issue of mega-yachts polluting the Villefranche bay".
French Mayor Calls for Cruise Ship Ban on French Riviera
The mayor of Nice, France, a popular tourist destination along the French Mayor Calls for Cruise Ship Ban on French Riviera, joined the growing number of destinations calling for restrictions on cruise ships. He cited the now familiar complaints of overtourism and pollution while proposing a ban starting this summer to stop large cruise ships from anchoring in the picturesque bay between Nice and Villefranche long known as a destination for the rich and famous.
“Tourism yes, overtourism no,” Mayor Christian Estrosi said during his annual New Year’s address outlining the political goals for the coming year. Estrosi is also president of the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis but would require the support of other local mayors to enact his bans which focused on large cruise ships as well as house sharing through the popular site Airbnb.
“The cruises that pollute and dump their ‘low-cost clientele’ who consume nothing, but leave their waste behind have no place with us,” Estrosi declared. Already known for his criticism of the cruise industry, the mayor simply said “Nice no longer wants ‘low-cost cruises,” to stop in its port.
Speaking on a local radio program, the mayor reiterated his position saying efforts were underway to “cancel all cruises that can still be canceled ahead of drafting a banning order.” He called for a ban effective July 1 but clarified his position was specifically to stop cruise ships with a capacity of over 900 passengers or over 190 meters (690 feet) in length.
The proposed ban targets the contemporary segment of the industry with large ships carrying 4,000 or more passengers while seeking to maintain the business of the small, ultra-luxury cruise ships which are more in keeping with the image Nice seeks to project. Estrosi contends the size restriction would eliminate about 70 percent of the cruise ship passengers scheduled to land in Nice.
Estrosi declared “I don’t want these floating hotels putting down their anchors in Nice.” A spokesperson for the trade group Cruise Lines International Association however responded with surprise noting “No large cruise ships are scheduled to call at the Port of Nice in 2025.”
While a popular destination, Nice and Villefranche without docking facilities have already seen a decline in the number of cruise ship calls as the ships must tender passengers ashore. Estimates are the port had about 650,000 cruise passengers and approximately 100 cruise ship visits down from 200 or more a decade ago. French media reports indicate there are a total of 125 cruise ship calls scheduled for Nice in 2025.
Estrosi is not calling for cruise ships to stop visiting the French Mayor Calls for Cruise Ship Ban on French Riviera, but just his little part of the coast. He suggested the ships could proceed to Cannes, which already has more than two times the number of annual cruise ship calls. The large commercial port at Marseille would also be a possibility but it is about a two-hour driving distance to the west from Cannes, Nice, and Villefranche.
Local officials were quick to point out that even if Estrosi could build support for his ban, he lacks the authority to change many cruise ship visits. Local authority only extends 300 meters from the shore (less than 1,000 feet) and many of the large cruise ships anchor further out putting them in waters controlled by the federal authorities.
It is not the first attempt to limit cruise ships along France’s Mediterranean coast. The group Stop Croisières, which calls itself environmentalists, has been staging protests. The group used Greenpeace tactics taking to small boats to block the arrival of cruise ships.
Advocates point to the impact on Venice, Italy after the city was forced into banning large cruise ships while other destinations such as Key West, Florida also moved to block large ships. Bar Harbor, Maine continues to be locked in a debate and legal actions after imposing a ban on most cruise ships while other destinations such as Juneau, Alaska reached a voluntary agreement with the cruise industry. European cities ranging from Amsterdam to Barcelona have also proposed moving cruise ship docks out of the center of the city.
No comments:
Post a Comment