Editor’s Note: This article was first published on July 17, 2024.
The European head of the world’s largest cruise trade body has warned that its members may need to avoid some of the world’s most popular destinations to protect passengers amid a backlash against overtourism.
Many European cities have expressed frustration at the rise in tourist numbers and the impact this is having on the prices of everything, from food to accommodation and the local ecosystem. Tourism’s environmental footprint is a complaint often levied against giant, carbon-emitting cruise ships.
In Barcelona, a popular departure point for cruise ships, locals used to spray tourists with water pistols. Protesters in Spain’s Canary Islands began a hunger strike in April to protest overcrowding.
Last October, cruise passengers were greeted by protesters They dress up as polar bears and sea lions During their disembarkation in the French port of Brittany, in reference to the industry’s tendency to pollute.
A study by the Transport and Environment Campaign Group found Luxury cruise ships in Europe The equivalent of a billion cars emits toxic sulfur.
Rising tide
As the protests grew more aggressive, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) suggested it might have to divert ships to protect passengers from the violence.
“There will be some consideration of modifying itineraries if for some reason we feel that all passengers will not be treated well,” said Marie-Caroline Laurent, CLIA’s European Director. He said Reuters.
Laurent didn’t specify which cities might be excluded from itineraries, but it’s easy to connect the dots after a wave of protests across the continent in recent months.
mayor of barcelona, Most popular in Europe The cruise ship port said the city could not handle a larger passenger capacity of 3.5 million passengers in 2023.
CLIA defended its presence in Barcelona, saying only 4% of visitors to the city were cruise passengers.
The gun that Banned cruise ships From the Center in 2021, it introduced a so-called “tourist tax” to deter or earn extra money from day trippers to the city this summer, after months of move to limit the size of groups that can gather in the city.
Meanwhile, Amsterdam plans to almost halve the number of cruises that can stop in its port each year by 2026 and ban them completely by 2035.
In Greece, locals have resorted to using drones to monitor new rules regarding sun loungers in an attempt Stop overcrowding On the country’s beaches.
Despite grumblings about a growing shortage of hospitality, the global cruise industry is expected to carry 10.7% more passengers in 2028 than in 2023, when 31.7 million tourists boarded ships.
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