PARIS — In a move aiming to address environmental and tourism concerns, the famous French Riviera destination of Cannes is set to prohibit cruise ships carrying over 1,000 passengers from its harbor beginning next year. The decision comes amidst a growing international trend against overtourism, evidenced recently by widespread reactions to high-profile events such as Jeff Bezos’ and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding in Venice, protests in Spain involving water-guns, and an unexpected strike at the Louvre Museum.
Cannes city council has stated that its goal is for ships to be “less numerous, less big, less polluting, and more esthetic.” The council voted on Friday to implement these limits starting January 1st. The new regulations will allow only ships with fewer than 1,000 passengers, with a total of 6,000 passengers being allowed to disembark per day. Larger vessels will need to use smaller boats to transfer passengers to the port of Cannes.
France, attracting approximately 100 million visitors last year and surpassing its own population in tourism numbers, is at the forefront of balancing the economic perks of tourism with environmental considerations and managing large tourist volumes. Mayor David Lisnard emphasized that rather than banning cruise ships, the intent is to better regulate and organize their presence while establishing navigation guidelines.
Despite the rationale, cruise operators have expressed concerns that such measures could negatively impact both destinations and passengers. Two cruise ships, planned to dock in Cannes on Sunday, fall beyond the forthcoming restriction, with a combined passenger capacity exceeding 7,000. The ship owners have not yet commented on the implications of the new rules.
Elsewhere, the Mediterranean city of Nice, along with several other European locations, has also begun implementing similar restrictions on cruise ships earlier this year in response to these concerns.