Tourist hating holiday locations are on the rise as another picturesque city destination bans cruise ships from its ports. Waves of locals rising up against “overtourism” have struck major seaside towns loved by people desperate to catch some sun or beautiful views of nature.
Once praised for giving these towns mini economic booms, residents and officials at some of the world’s most famous cruise-ship dwelling ports have launched campaigns and protests against visitors. The gorgeous French Riviera city of Nice, known for its pristine beaches and luxury shopping, has joined the list of places brining in a cruise ship ban.
Some local resentment stems from rising property prices that have pushed people away from the cities they have called home for decades. Lucrative short term rentals have also popped up across these holiday hotspot, inflicting more havoc on rent prices.
Along with Nice, there are six other prime cruise holiday spots that have hit back at visitors and the impact travellers are having on residents.
The city’s mayor, Christian Estrosi, announced a ban on luxury liners carrying more than 900 passengers from July 1. The fancy cruise ship dock of Villefranche-sur-Mer has been hailed for its beauty and scenery.
Estrosi previously slammed the huge liners as “monsters of the seas” that “pollute and dump their low-cost clientele”. This strict ban comes as cruise visitor numbers are set to double by 2026 – meaning an unbelievable 320,000 people could descend upon the French city.
Despite the growing hatred for quick tourism, around 40% of the cities workforce has jobs directly linked to tourism, like restaurant work and taxi drivers, according to The Express.
The famous Spanish city has launched waves of protests and attacks against its growing problem with overtourism. Barcelona firstly forced all cruise ships to start docking further south from the heart of the city, in 2023.
This has pushed key attraction like La Rambla and the Sagrada Familia further away from the previously short walk it would take visitors from the old dock. This means travellers must take a 30 minute bus to the beating heart of the famous city.
Officials were quick to make the cap on large ships coming into the docks even lower – changing it from 10 to just 7 per day. Authorities have even floated the idea of shutting another cruise terminal by 2026.
The sinking city has been a trailblazer in the anti-tourism movement. Venice blocked large ships from going into the historic Giudecca Canal back in 2021.
The quick nature of cruise travel meant less than half of the 60,000 tourists who got the Italian city would stay overnight. Fierce campaigners have been battling for a ban since 2017 arguing erosion and pollution were inflicting havoc on the historic city.
Cruise ships now have to stop in nearby Marghera, with others choosing the cities of Trieste or Ravenna.
The Dutch city – loved for its unique canal system – saw campaigners clash with fun-loving day-trippers. Residents’ pushes resulted in a 2021 study commissioned into the growing problem and it found one large cruise ship had produced the same levels of nitrogen oxides in one day as 30,000 trucks.
Amsterdam has since brought in a plan to cut cruise vessels to 100 per year, which is down from the current 190. The cities plans won’t stop there as it it looking to bring a total end to all liners by 2035.
European cities have not been the only ones to hit back at cruise tourism, with the beautiful Alaskan city also fighting these ships. The port, with just 32,000 residents, sees around five ships come in per day.
Locals have battled while weighing up the economic pros and environmental cons of this type of travel. A recent move to bring in a “ship-free Sunday” was blocked by voters as 60% were in favour of visitors.
After the loss, indigenous community leader Stacy Eldemar said: “It’s ironic that the very thing these tourists are seeking is being destroyed by the industry that’s bringing them here.” The city has since announced a cap on the number of cruises and ships, which will be enforced in 2026.
Locals across Greece have protested against overtourism and the major holiday islands have been no exception. Local leaders have brought in a new £16.80 charge per cruise passenger to Santorini and Mykonos. Officials have hoped this fee could balance out the negatives of tourism.
The Greek government has also brought in a cap of 8,000 cruise passengers per day, which comes after the two small but ever-popular islands saw 1.3 million people visit in 2024.
Loved for their blend of party, sun, and beautiful scenery, the beloved Spanish islands have made headlines in recent years for huge anti-tourism protests. Caps were brought into Palma, in Mallorca, which limited docking to just three cruise ships per day.
Despite this cap, officials are expected to bring in more limits and regulations around liners later this year. Ibiza has also limited cruise numbers to no more than two at any one time.
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