The council of the Dutch capital Amsterdam has voted to ban cruise ships in an effort to reduce the flow of tourists and reduce pollution from the giant ships, according to a municipal spokesman. It has also considered restricting jumbo ships from docking in the city and closing its central cruise-ship terminal. The spokesperson said the timeline and implementation details will be decided after discussions with various stakeholders.
“The polluting cruise is not in line with Amsterdam’s sustainability ambitions,” says Ilana Ruderkirk. Amsterdam has one of the largest cruise ports in Europe, hosting hundreds of mega ships and around 700,000 cruise passengers each year. The country has other cruise terminals in Rotterdam and IJsmuiden.
Earlier in the year the city council banned outdoor marijuana smoking in the red-light district. In March the city’s authorities launched an online campaign aimed at young British men called “Stay Away” aimed at dissuading rebellious visitors from descending on the city. The Italian government introduced measures to ban large cruise ships in Venice’s historic lagoon in 2021 to protect the site from mass tourism.
