The French Polynesian island of Bora Bora has announced a ban on mega cruise ships, restricting port calls to cruise ships with a capacity of less than 3,500 while those with a capacity of more than 2,500 will be restricted to Tahiti, Moorea and Raiatea.
Cruise ships carrying more than 3,500 passengers will be denied entry.
The restrictions, which were announced in late September by the French Polynesian government, would allow only 1,200 cruise passengers into Bora Bora in a single day. Its Mayor, Gaston Tong Sang is pushing for the restriction to be in place by 2022.
He also said that “he was not against cruises and was happy for smaller, environmentally-friendly ships to enter the lagoon,” such as small to medium-sized ships carrying up to 700 passengers.
According to a news article published by NZHerald, the ban is a long-awaited win for Bora Bora, who had been requesting a limitation since 2019, saying that restrictions would help minimise the burden on local infrastructure and “preserve the beauty of its lagoon as well as the quality of service which has made it famous,”
Once the ban is in place, French Polynesia will be following in the footsteps of Thailand, Venice and Amsterdam.
