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The mayor of the French city of Nice wants to drastically limit the number of cruise ships that stop at the port to get rid of “cheap” tourists who, he says, don’t buy anything and only litter, The Times reports.
Nice is an expensive resort on the French Riviera. Environmentalists have long complained about the excessive number of cruise ships that stop here and damage the environment. But the statement by Mayor Christian Estrosi has alarmed local shop and restaurant owners who fear a loss of income.
As The Times notes, Nice likes to see itself as a magnet for the rich and famous, and budget tourists here are often perceived as spoiling the atmosphere.
The city's mayor plans to sign a decree banning ships longer than 190 meters and carrying more than 900 passengers from docking in Nice and nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer from next summer, a move he believes will lead to a 70 percent drop in cruise tourism.
“At the moment we have [ships] that are real floating cities with over 5000 passengers. These [ships] do not in any way correspond to the tourism model that we want to develop,” he said.
Staff at Trastevere restaurant in Villefranche-sur-Mer have expressed concern as the number of diners has doubled since cruise ships began arriving in the city again after the pandemic. “We get English, Americans and Scandinavians. They consume a lot,” a waiter told reporters.
Last year, 117 cruise ships anchored in Nice and another 107 in Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Other travel news
As I wrote, the railway carrier Trenitalia France announced the resumption of the Paris-Milan route from April 1, 2025. Two trains will run between these charming cities of France and Italy daily - the first flights in both directions will depart at approximately 7:00 a.m., and the second after 15:00 p.m. They will spend a little less than seven hours on the road.
We also reported that Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air launched flights to six European cities from Sibiu, Romania, which is often called the most beautiful city in the country.
