In an effort to reduce overtourism and pollution damage, officials in Amsterdam banned cruise ships docking in the center of the city.
The Guardian reported that Amsterdam’s City Council said cruise ships were “incompatible with the environmental goals and sustainability goals of the popular tourist destination. Ilana Rooderkerk, a politician in Amsterdam, said that the city would “sail much better” without cruise ship traffic.
Rooderkerk stated that the polluting cruise was not in line Amsterdam’s sustainability ambitions. “Cruise boats in the center of the city also don’t fit with the task to combat mass tourism.”
The government is still evaluating plans for an alternative site and has not made a decision yet.
Local officials also announced plans to build an additional bridge connecting Amsterdam’s historic Southern district with the Noord District. However, the project would not be possible if massive vessels could still dock at the central Terminal.
Femke Halsema, the mayor of Amsterdam, has spoken in the past about the benefits that cruise ship passengers bring to the city. She said the visitors “eat at international brands, and have little time to go visit museums.”
Mayor Halsema said that despite the relatively small size of his city, it welcomes 22 millions tourists each year. He added, however, that “that is a bit too much.”
Venice, Italy announced in 2021, that it would work with UNESCO to ban large vessels entering the city centre.
Barcelona, Spain is also reducing the number cruise ship arrivals. The number of tourists has been reduced from 400,000 to 200,000 per month.