A huge cruise ship row has erupted in a beautiful city loved by British tourists.
Cruise ships are back in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer near Nice in France for the summer, bringing with them plenty of noise and pollution.
Tourists regularly flock to the area but a row has now erupted, with some demanding more regulation on the ships that fill the bay.
In a letter to Christian Estrosi, the president of the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, environmentalist-elected officials demanded a moratorium on these cruise ships.
“It is an essential measure for preserving our marine ecosystem and for the comfort of permanent residents,” said Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, President of elected environmentalists in the Metropolis and leader of the Green Party.
“The bay of Villefranche hosts exceptional biodiversity with fragile ecosystems and endangered species. The regular movement of cruise ships poses a serious threat to this precious environment.”
“It is an ecological disaster. A moratorium on cruise ship access would be an essential first step towards preserving this unique marine environment.”
Christian Estrosi has assured locals he has been “protecting the bay” since taking office ten years ago. “We have found a balance between environmental protection and economy,” he explained.
But for Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, the economic argument does not hold. she said: “Cruisers pay a cheap package to consume on board without spending anything outside. They have everything on board. It’s bus tourism.”
Florence, a member of the environmental citizen collective “Menton autrement” (Menton differently) agreed, saying: “For those who have souvenir shops, yes, it works well.
“But it’s not the case for all businesses. Moreover, it has been shown that the arrival of floods of cruise passengers is not well received by other tourists, creating a sudden influx and thus a nuisance for those who wish to stroll peacefully.”
Additional reporting by Maria Ortega.
