Christian Estrosi (Mayor of Nice) has revised his initial plan to ban large cruise ships from the French Riviera city. Initially, in late January, Estrosi signed a decree prohibiting vessels carrying 900+ passengers from docking in Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer, citing concerns over overtourism and environmental impact.
This decision was met with approval from environmental groups but faced opposition from local businesses and the cruise industry.
In response to the backlash, Estrosi proposed a compromise allowing ships with up to 2,500 passengers to anchor in the bay and tender passengers ashore. Larger vessels would be redirected to ports like Cannes or Marseille, while smaller ships with fewer than 450 passengers could continue to dock in Nice. Additionally, the plan limits cruise ship calls to one per day.
This revised approach aims to balance public health concerns with the economic interests of the local community.
The port authority indicated that this compromise would permit ~65 of the 90 scheduled cruise calls for summer 2025. The initial ban was expected to result in a 70% reduction in cruise tourist arrivals, significantly impacting local tourism revenue.
The industry, represented by CLIA/Cruise Lines International Association, expressed surprise at the initial ban, noting that no large cruise ships were scheduled to call at the Port of Nice in 2025, and only a limited number were expected to anchor off Villefranche-sur-Mer. CLIA emphasized its commitment to sustainable tourism and continued collaboration with ports and municipalities.
This development reflects the ongoing debate in Mediterranean port cities over managing tourism's economic benefits while mitigating environmental and social impacts. Other destinations, such as Venice and Barcelona, have also implemented measures to address the challenges posed by large cruise ships.