Cannes to limit cruise ship arrivals from 2026

The popular French resort of Cannes, known for its famous film festival and summer holidays, has announced new measures to combat overtourism by restricting cruise ship calls.

The city council has approved limits on the size of cruise liners and set a cap on the number of passengers allowed to disembark — up to 6,000 people per day. The new rules take effect from 1 January 2026. Liners carrying more than 1,000 passengers will not be able to dock directly at the port of Cannes and will need to use smaller vessels to bring passengers ashore.

Cannes Mayor David Lisnard stressed that this is not a total ban on cruise ships, since they bring tangible economic benefits. According to him, the city aims to organise navigation in a way that reduces pressure on infrastructure.

Cannes has joined a broader European trend of regulating tourist flow, following cities such as neighbouring Nice, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Venice, and a number of Greek islands, which have already restricted cruise ship access. Such measures are being taken because cities are overwhelmed by large numbers of tourists who rarely spend significant amounts.

Representatives of the cruise industry have expressed concern about the new restrictions, noting that they could negatively affect itineraries and reduce the appeal of offerings for passengers, falling short of their expectations.

Cannes' decision aligns with France's broader approach of developing sustainable tourism and increasing revenue per tourist rather than visitor numbers. Tourists and tour operators will need to adapt to the changes and recognise the need for a responsible approach to tourism in order to preserve popular destinations for the future.