Mayor Christian Estrosi has unveiled plans to ban large cruise ships from docking along the Nice Côte d’Azur’s coastline starting 1 July 2025, in a move aimed at combating overtourism and reducing the environmental toll of the “floating hotels.”
During his New Year’s address, Estrosi heavily criticised the impact of large cruise ships, describing them as polluting entities that bring little economic benefit while leaving behind significant waste. “We prevented concrete from suffocating Nice, it is not to let overtourism suffocate it in turn,” he said. “I don’t want floating hotels to drop anchor in front of Nice.”
His proposed measures include banning ships exceeding 190 metres in length and accommodating more than 900 passengers, which he estimates will reduce the number of arriving cruise passengers by 70%.
We are working to cancel all cruises that can still be cancelled and we will draft a banning order.
Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice
À Nice, nous disons stop aux monstres des mers : ces villes flottantes ultra-polluantes, moteurs allumés, symboles d’un surtourisme qui ne profite pas à notre territoire. Nous privilégions les unités de moins de 190m, à motorisation 0 soufre, et respectueuses de leur… pic.twitter.com/YTPqM2aKM0
— Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) January 21, 2025
1. Little contribution, high pollution
Tourism constitutes a significant share of Nice’s economy, with 40% of the metropolitan revenue linked to the sector. However, a study from Norway’s University of Bergen has found that cruise passengers spent an average of less than €23 per visit, while many never disembarked at all.
Besides the low contribution to local economy, Estrosi’s office emphasized the high environmental toll behind the ban. Cruise ships contribute heavily to air and water pollution, emitting sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and black carbon while discharging wastewater that harms marine ecosystems.
“Today, we have units that are essentially floating cities with over 5,000 passengers, keeping their engines running, emitting sulphur and other pollutants into the atmosphere, creating no jobs, and contributing to overtourism,” added Estrosi’s office. “These units in no way align with the model we wish to develop in terms of tourism, hospitality, and respect for the local population.”
2. Small boats still allowed
While welcoming the initiative, environmentalists have also argued that it lacks ambition, with smaller yachts and mid-sized cruise ships still permitted under the current framework. Adding to the scepticism, critics question whether Estrosi has the authority to enforce the ban. Final approval lies with regional authorities, and the deadline of 1 July is seen by some as overly optimistic.
“What is a bit regrettable in the statement of Mr. Estrosi is that he wants to sort between luxury cruises and mass cruises,” spokesperson for the Stop Croisiere collective Guillaume Piccard told the ici Province radio station. “He wants the small cruise ships to still come into the port of Nice, just that their passengers don’t drop rubbish on the ground.”
Addressing the smaller boat worries, Estrosi’s plans also include a €7 million investment in port electrification to allow smaller ships to plug into shore power, reducing emissions. The mayor envisions a shift toward “high-end” maritime tourism, with a focus on sustainable practices and respect for the local population.
3. Tested measure
If the measure is approved by local authorities, Nice will join other cities around the world that view cruise ship tourism as propellers of overtourism. “Venice has regained its beauty and its landscape by having a mayor who definitively refuses cruises. We intend to go in this direction, too,” Estrosi said, referring to Venice’s ban on cruise ships that took effect in 2021.
Other major European destinations have followed suit, with Amsterdam announcing a similar ban in 2023 and Barcelona introducing a limit on the number of ships allowed in the city in October the same year, after Janet Sanz had compared cruise tourists to a “plague of locusts”, for descending in high numbers and ravaging the city.
