CLIA slams ‘undue decision’ by Cannes to ban large cruise ships
CLIA has said it is “perplexed” by the French Riviera city of Cannes’ “undue decision” to ban cruise ships carrying more than 1,000 passengersÂ
The city council, which voted on the measures last Friday (27 June), said it was aiming for cruise tourism to be “less numerous, less big, less polluting and more aesthetic”.
Under the proposed limits, only ships with fewer than 1,000 passengers will be allowed in the port, with a maximum of 6,000 visitors permitted to disembark per day. Larger ships will be expected to transfer their passengers to smaller boats to enter Cannes.
But CLIA slammed the city’s “unilateral and abrupt” announcement, which it claimed had been made without prior consultation or coordinated planning.
“[The decision] risks harming local businesses and service providers,” a CLIA spokesperson said. “As the association representing the cruise industry, CLIA is perplexed by the decision to place undue limits on cruise – a sector that contributes significantly to the economic and social vitality of port cities and is actively advancing environmental sustainability.”
The move, set to come into place from 1 January 2026, is the latest in a string of decision by French destinations, including Nice and Bordeaux, to curb overtourism they claim stems from cruise arrivals.
“This move is especially difficult to understand given that it comes just weeks after the signing of the Sustainable Cruising Charter for the Mediterranean by the minister of transport and cruise lines – a joint initiative that further strengthens the cruise industry’s concrete commitments to environmental progress in the region,” CLIA added.
“Cruise tourism is managed tourism, with arrivals planned years in advance. CLIA and its member lines remain committed to working with communities that value dialogue and partnership, in support of responsible tourism that delivers meaningful and lasting benefits.”
According to the Independent, Cannes mayor David Lisnard said: “Cannes has become a major cruise ship destination, with real economic benefits. It’s not about banning cruise ships, but about regulating, organising, setting guidelines for their navigation.”
