Cruise Port Backtracks on Ship Ban After Compromise is Reached

Just weeks after a French mayor called cruise ships “floating buildings” unwelcome in his popular cruise port city, local leaders are now seeking a compromise that will reverse at least part of this decision.Cruise port in Nice, France. ID 52162599 | Cruise © Xantana | Dreamstime.com
The Initial Ban
Mayor Christian Estrosi made waves in the cruise industry last month, when he announced an order banning large cruise ships from Nice, France. The order stated that any cruise vessel carrying more than 900 passengers would be prohibited from visiting the port city.
At the time, Estrosi stated, “The cruises that pollute and dump their low-cost clientele who consume nothing but leave their waste behind have no place with us.”
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) spearheaded the pushback against the ban, arguing that it would cause significant economic damage.
“We are urging reconsideration,” stated Samuel Maubanc, CLIA’s director general for Europe, emphasizing the need for a “holistic tourism management approach.”
It should be noted that the ban would not have restricted smaller boats and vessels from utilizing the port. However, the threat of lost tourism and the resulting economic pinch sent city leaders and officials into scramble mode.
After all, CLIA warned of potential losses exceeding $10 million locally and $600 million regionally.
The ban, which was set to take effect July 1st, would have severely impacted Villefranche-sur-Mer, a tender port heavily reliant on cruise ship traffic. Two-thirds of the nearly 90 scheduled calls there would have been affected, effectively excluding major cruise lines.
The Ban Reversal (of Sorts)
But the mayor of Nice is now attempting to backtrack, or at least modify the ban. According to news reports, on March 7th, Estrosi is expected to submit a new plan that will allow 65 ships carrying up to 2,500 passengers to utilize the nearby bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Smaller ships with fewer than 450 passengers will be able to use Nice’s port.
The port of Nice will still host approximately 125 cruise ships this year, with a dozen carrying over 125 passengers. Mayor Estrosi’s reversal of the ban came shortly after his meeting with Sea Shepherd’s Paul Watson, and ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice.
Other Mediterranean Ports Struggling with This Debate
Nice, a key Mediterranean cruise destination, is at the center of this debate, but it’s not the only city in the region to try to find the balance between tourism and preservation of culture and heritage.   Venice, Barcelona, and Santorini have recently made their own attempts to restrict large ships or combat overtourism.
While some smaller ports just aren’t capable of hosting larger mega ships of today, it opens a market for smaller cruise ships to offer more intimate and remote destinations.
For now, Nice’s compromise makes room for at least some cruise passengers to appreciate an amazing destination.
Appeared first on: Cruisefever.net