Spanish chaos as 13,000 cruise ship tourists swarm beautiful old city
The medieval coastal city saw thousands of visitors from three huge ships thronging the streets in just one day.
A beautiful Spanish medieval city suffered mass tourism chaos after 13,000 cruise ship passengers from three massive ships descended on the area in just one day.
In 24 hours the population of the historic centre of Cadiz, in Andalucía, Spain, swelled by 50 percent as hordes of sightseers and day trippers massed in the ancient streets among the white-washed buildings.
Cadiz, which lies on the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, is a stunning city with Moorish architectural influences and nearby beaches that make it a popular tourist hotspot.
But, according to newspaper El Debate, protesters from the local campaign group Cádiz Resiste claim the sheer number of visitors is destroying the city.
After a meeting attended by 2,000 angry residents, Resiste issued a statement saying: "They (tourists) are stealing our city, our neighbourhoods and businesses, the very possibility of making a life in Cádiz."
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It added that the aim was "to recover [Cadiz] for the residents".
Bay of Cadiz Port Authority said the three cruise ships, Aida Stella, Norwegian Viva and MSC Virtuosa, disembarked 12,743 passengers on July 31.
According to local media a fourth vessel, Queen Anne, also planned to visit on the same day but cancelled at the last minute.
SurEnglish reports the provincial authorities in Andalucía said on average a cruise ship passenger spends around €40 (£34.41) per day in each port they visit, however that can rise to €200 (£172) if they are at one location for several days.
In September more cruise ships are expected to dock in Cadiz, with several dates set to include a visit by a trio of the large vessels arriving in one day.
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In fact, compared to 18 cruise ships in July, there are expected to be around 34 ships docking in September, more than the 23 scheduled for August.
In January the MSC Euribia cruise ship made history when it became the first vessel to dock at Cadiz powered by Liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel.
LNG is viewed as more environmentally friendly because it produces 30 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) than traditional oil based fuels.
