The French Riviera resort of Cannes is set to implement what its city council describes as “drastic regulation” on cruise ships, banning any vessels carrying more than 1,000 people from its harbour starting next year. The move, effective from January 1, positions the home of the world’s premier film festival at the forefront of a growing global backlash against overtourism.
Cannes joins a list of destinations grappling with the impact of excessive visitor numbers, following recent uproar over Jeff Bezos’ and Lauren Sanchez’ Venice wedding, water-gun protests in Spain, and a surprise strike at the Louvre Museum.
The city council, which voted on the measures on Friday, aims for cruise tourism to be “less numerous, less big, less polluting and more esthetic.” Under the new limits, only ships with fewer than 1,000 passengers will be allowed in the port, with a maximum of 6,000 passengers permitted to disembark per day. Larger ships will be expected to transfer their passengers to smaller boats to enter Cannes.
France — which drew in some 100 million visitors last year, more than any other European country and more than the country’s population — is on the front line of efforts to balance economic benefits of tourism with environmental concerns while managing ever-growing crowds.
“Cannes has become a major cruise ship destination, with real economic benefits. It’s not about banning cruise ships, but about regulating, organizing, setting guidelines for their navigation,” Mayor David Lisnard said in a statement.
Cruise operators have called such restrictions damaging for destinations and for passengers.
Two cruise ships were scheduled to dock in Cannes on Sunday, each bigger than the upcoming 1,000-passenger limit and with a combined capacity of more than 7,000 people. Their owners did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new restrictions.
The nearby Mediterranean city of Nice announced limits on cruise ships earlier this year, as have some other European cities.
