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.