Barcelona has banned all passenger ships from its central port effective October 22, sending them instead to terminals farther from the popular La Rambla district.
The new regulation, designed to control cruise ship emissions, will send smaller ships from AIDA Cruises, Azamara, Oceania, Regent and Virgin to the Moll Adossat Pier, where large ships dock. Passengers then will have to take a 30-minute shuttle ride.
Barcelona also has cut the number of cruise ships that can visit its ports at one time, from 10 to 7.
The move follows protests against tourism by Barcelona residents over the past six years.
“The closure of the Barcelona northern docks for cruise operations is a new step to comply with the agreement signed in 2018 with the Barcelona municipal government to eliminate the negative impact that this activity could produce for citizens,” said Lluís Salvado, president of the Port of Barcelona.
While many cities have been looking to cut the number of ships arriving on their shores, business owners in Palma, Majorca, this month called on the government to scrap the cruise ship limits set there. They cited an 18% fall in passengers since legislation limited cruise ships to three a day.
“Don’t demonize cruise ship passengers, it is family tourism with a high spending power,” eight local business organizations, including bar and restaurant owners, shopkeepers and tour guides, said in a statement.