Clia plays down mayor of Nice's threat to ban large cruise ships from French Riviera port
Gary NoakesThe mayor of Nice has put forward plans to ban cruise ships of more than 900 passengers from next summer, saying they only bring low-grade tourists to the French port – but Clia has played down what it described as the "regrettable" comments.
The Times reports Christian Estrosi wants to stem the influx of what he calls “low cost” tourists to the French Riviera city.
“I don’t want these floating hotels putting down their anchors in Nice,” Estrosi is reported to have said. “These cruises that pollute [and] that pour out their low-cost customers who do not consume anything and who leave their rubbish behind them, well I say these cruises don’t have a place here.”
The mayor plans to ban ships of more than 190 metres from docking in Nice and nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer from next summer. He claimed the move would lead to a 70% fall in the number of passengers arriving on cruise vessels, calling the larger ships “floating towns”.
The Times reports 124 cruise ships plan stopovers in Nice in 2025. Any law which is enacted this year would play havoc with ship itineraries, which are plotted several years in advance.
However, a Clia spokesperson said: "We regret the comments made by the Mayor of Nice, which unfairly stigmatise both tourism professionals and our passengers.
"We are even more surprised given that no large cruise ships are scheduled to call at the Port of Nice in 2025.
"Clia and its member companies will continue to work closely with ports and municipalities that share our desire to develop ever more sustainable tourism."
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Gary Noakes
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