City, Port, and Mediterranean Cruises
Résumé
In recent years, the cruise industry has undergone a profound transformation, marked by a sharp increase in passenger numbers, a wider range of offerings, and larger vessels. These developments have sparked growing protests in many coastal cities and have become a prominent subject of public debate. Local authorities and environmental groups are particularly concerned about air pollution, ecosystem damage, and visual impact caused by these “floating buildings”. The economic and social impacts of overtourism are also a major concern. This chapter combines an analysis of traffic growth with that of local protests to examine how this sector contributes to the redefinition of the city–port interface. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative methods, the study explores how changing port traffic sparks local disputes, and how these disputes reshape the strategies of economic actors and city–port relations. Case studies include Venice, Marseille, and Barcelona, three cities that are emblematic of this sector of activity and of these conflicts. The study draws on port statistics, AIS (Automatic Identification System) data, and media reports, and proposes a new framework for understanding the reconfiguration of city–port relations in the Mediterranean in the context of cruise-related controversies.