AMSTERDAM – In a bid to curb visitors and pollution, Amsterdam’s council has banned cruise ships from the city center.
The proposal to ban cruises had been advocated by the Democrats 66 party, which oversees the city alongside the social democratic PvdA and the GroenLinks environmentalists.
In a statement issued by the Democrats 66 party, it was stated that the council claims cruise ship vessels are not conducive to the city’s efforts to limit tourism and boost sustainability.
The ban ultimately means that the central cruise terminal on the River IJ near Amsterdam’s main train station will close in an apparent discouragement for mass tourism in the city.
The council has been trying to ‘cleanse’ the city and has also banned cannabis smoking on the streets of the red-light district.
In March, the city started an online campaign and urged young British men considering holding their bachelor parties in Amsterdam to stay away.
Amsterdam attracts 20 million annual visitors most of whom land in the city for parties and other events
Mayor Femke Halsema had also complained last year that cruise tourists were let loose for a couple of hours, dined in at international chains, and had no time to visit a museum, consuming the city but doing little for it.
Another reason for the ban is to reduce air pollution levels in the city and D66 politician Ilana Rooderkerk said in a statement that cruise pollution does not match the sustainable ambitions of Amsterdam.
“In addition, cruise ships in the city center do not fit into Amsterdam’s task to reduce the number of tourists. In other words, Amsterdam sails better without cruises,” she said.
Amsterdam has set an ambitious sustainability target of becoming completely emission-free by 2030. What prompted concerns about cruise ships is a study conducted in 2021 which found out that a single big cruise ship produced the same pollution levels in a single day as 30,000 trucks.
