Cruises in the Mediterranean: a development lever for minor ports? The case of Spanish, French and Monaco city-ports
La croisière en Méditerranée : un levier de développement pour les ports mineurs ? Le cas des villes-ports espagnoles, françaises et monégasques
Résumé
Since the late 1960s, cruising has become the fastest-growing sector of the tourism industry. With 30.7 million passengers in 2019, the Mediterranean remains one of the most attractive destinations, despite the events that have thrown the sector into crisis in recent years (sinking of the Costa Concordia in 2012; Covid-19 in 2020). However, protest movements have emerged, driven by an awareness of the negative externalities generated by cruises, particularly in terms of air pollution and pressure on natural environment. This article undelines how the policies of certain Mediterranean port cities in Spain, France and Monaco have evolved in front of the cruise industry. The fact that cruises are being called into question as a tourist resource (especially for large port cities) means that we need to consider the positioning of minor ports and their cities with regard to this market.
By analysing the reactions and forms of adaptation linked to cruise activities according to the size of the port cities in France, Spain and Monaco, three trends can be discerned. The first is that of port cities with no conflicts (mainly small ports). The second is that of port cities where tensions have been identified, and where measures have been taken to mitigate them (these are mainly medium-sized ports). The third trend is that of city-ports with identified conflicts, and developments in response to these conflicts (these are mainly large ports). Faced with this diversity of reactions, public policies are adapting through environmental contractualisation as a means of coexistence, and as a tool for dialogue that is part of a voluntary approach by all the stakeholders involved.
The analysis shows that certain major port cities are distancing themselves from the cruise industry, while the positioning of minor ports remains generally favourable to the reception of ships, particularly small ones, for essentially economic reasons. While we have noted a redeployment of maritime routes and the calls of certain large ships to minor ports, this is not without risks of inequality: in this scenario, the minor ports with cruise ships at berth will suffer the negative externalities without necessarily benefiting from the sector's contribution to the local economy. Conversely, the major port cities with a reputation for tourism will be spared these externalities, while still attracting cruise passengers on excursions from the minor ports.
Depuis la fin des années 1960, la croisière est devenue le secteur à la croissance la plus rapide de l'industrie du tourisme. Avec 30,7 millions de passagers en 2019, la Méditerranée reste une des destinations les plus attrayantes ; et cela malgré les événements qui ont mis en crise ce secteur ces dernières années (naufrage du Costa Concordia en 2012 ; Covid-19 en 2020). Pourtant, des mouvements de contestation ont émergé animés par la prise de conscience des externalités négatives engendrées par la croisière, notamment en termes de pollution atmosphérique et de pression sur les milieux naturels. Cet article propose une réflexion sur la manière dont les politiques de certaines villes portuaires méditerranéennes espagnoles, françaises et monégasques ont évolué face à la croisière. Sa remise en question comme ressource touristique (surtout pour les grandes villes portuaires) nous fait ainsi prendre en compte le positionnement des ports mineurs et de leurs villes à l’égard de ce marché. A travers une analyse quantitative et qualitative, les résultats montrent qu’au sein de certaines grandes villes portuaires il y a une prise de distance vis-à-vis de la croisière alors que le positionnement des ports mineurs ou petits ports reste dans l’ensemble favorable à l’accueil des navires, notamment de petite taille, pour des raisons essentiellement économiques. Face à une diversité des réactions, les politiques publiques s’adaptent par le biais de la contractualisation environnementale. C’est ainsi que, selon la taille des villes-ports et l’intensité des flux de croisière et selon les approches mobilisées localement différentes postures urbano-portuaires se dégagent.