‘Plague of locusts’: Which European cities are stopping the swarm of cruise passengers?

31.10.2023 - 23:45 / euronews.com

Every year, more than 20 million passengers take a cruise. 

Before the pandemic, that number was even higher sitting at around 30 million.

As passenger numbers look to breach this pre-pandemic number once again, many European ports where these ships drop anchor are re-evaluating their presence. Some are looking to ban them altogether, citing environmental, social and economic concerns.

The 218 cruise ships operating in Europe in 2022 emitted over four times more sulphur oxides than all of the continent's cars, according to Transport & Environment. The NGO found back in June this year that these toxic air pollutants from ships are now higher than they were before COVID-19. 

And, with their benefit to the local economy up for debate, the millions of passengers they bring to Europe's cities each year are causing problems for the people that live there. 

In 2021, Venice barred large cruise ships from anchoring in its historic centre. 

Damage to the lagoon saw UNESCO threaten to put the city on its endangered list unless they were permanently banned.

They argue that the big ships cause pollution and erode the foundations of the city - which already suffers from regular flooding. The ban means that large cruise and container vessels can no longer enter Venice’s Giudecca canal.

There were attempts to stop the large ships before with previous legislation overturned. But pressure mounted when in 2019 a cruise liner crashed into a harbour in Venice, injuring five people.

And by the time of the 2021 ban, even cruise companies were on board. After it was announced, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said it had “been supportive of a new approach for many years” calling it a “major step forward”.

The reality of barring large ships from Venice has turned out to be more complicated than it may have first seemed, however. Without a new hub outside of the city's lagoon for cruise lines to use, many are still docking there two years after the ban was brought in.

Pollution and overtourism aren't just a problem in Venice, however. 

Barcelona - as it moves to tackle its own issues - closed its North terminal to cruises on 22 October. Around 340 ships a year will now have to dock at the Moll d'Adossat pier instead which is the furthest from the city's residential areas. 

Following the closure of another terminal located in the Maremagnum and the introduction of a one-ship per terminal rule,  just seven cruise ships can now dock in Barcelona at one time. 

These measures follow an agreement with local authorities to relocate cruise ships outside of Barcelona's city centre in an attempt to mitigate the impact of overtourism.

By 2026, the South terminal will also close and all cruises will operate from the Adossat wharf.

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