Cruise lines may be forced to start avoiding popular ports in Europe in the face of NIMBY-ism and growing protests by citizens opposed to overtourism – some of which have targeted cruise visitors, such as sightseers being sprayed by squirt guns in Barcelona – says CLIA.

At the same time, some cities are beginning to limit the number of cruise ships they accept, including Barcelona which has capped the number of cruise passengers at 3.5 million; Venice, which introduced a tourist tax and moved its cruise ship facilities away from the centre of town; and, most recently, Amsterdam, which said it plans to do the same in the near term, and ban cruise ships altogether by 2025.

Other traditional cruise destinations are also introducing, and considering, cruise-calming measures as well. (That includes non-European destinations, such as in Alaska).

“Tourism-phobia is not only a problem in Spain, but also in France and other Mediterranean countries, but visitors are increasingly sensitive and the scenes that have been seen in places like Barcelona have an impact on the reputation of the destination (and the safety of cruise passengers),” said Marie-Caroline Laurent, the European head of the CLIA.

She added that cruise lines may have to adapt itineraries in the face of the growing opposition; that includes seeking more welcoming destinations such as the Asia and the Middle East, not least Saudi Arabia which is investing heavily in tourism and cruising.

And the problem is only likely to get worse as the cruise industry is forecast to grow by 10% by 2028 as close to 60 more cruise ships join the global fleet, bringing the total to 360 ships.