The mayor of Nice has floated plans to ban cruise ships of more than 900 passengers in a bid to reduce the number of “low-cost” tourists visiting the French Riviera city
According to reports in The Times, Christian Estrosi said vessels which “pollute and pour out their low-cost customers who do not consume anything and leave rubbish behind do not have a place” in the destination.
“I don’t want these floating hotels putting down their anchors in Nice,” he said. Reports suggest Estrosi plans to sign a bylaw banning cruise ships more than 190m long and with a capacity of more than 900 passengers docking in Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer from next summer.
In a further statement posted on X, he wrote: “Overtourism and pollution generated by these floating cities are scourges that we want to combat in Nice.
“The truth is that these are activities that are not very profitable for our territory, that pollute a lot and threaten the health of the people of Nice and Villefranchois. Not to mention the consequences on biodiversity.”
He claimed the proposed ban would lead to a 70 per cent drop in the number of passengers arriving via cruises. “At the moment, we have [ships] that are real floating towns with more than 5,000 passengers,” he said. “These [ships] do not correspond in any way to the tourist model that we want to develop.”
In response, a CLIA spokesperson said: “We regret the comments made by the mayor of Nice, which unfairly stigmatise both tourism professionals and our passengers.
“We are even more surprised given that no large cruise ships are scheduled to call at the Port of Nice in 2025. Furthermore, only three large cruise ships and 34 medium-sized ships are expected to anchor off Villefranche-sur-Mer during 2025.
“CLIA and its member companies will continue to work closely with ports and municipalities that share our desire to develop ever more sustainable tourism.”
It comes after the mayor of Bordeaux last summer called for a complete ban on cruise ships docking in the city centre amid complaints the vessels are an “eyesore” and “cause environmental damage”.