Why one of the most visited cities in Europe has banned cruise ships from entering

Government Amsterdam banned entry to cruise ships In the center of the city in a measure taken while it was the capital Holland Tries to limit the number of visitors and Curb pollution.

Politicians said the ships did not align with the sustainability ambitions of the iconic Northern European city.

The ban translates into the closure of the central cruise terminal on the IJ River, near Amsterdam Central Station.

This is the latest measure to reduce mass tourism in the city of canals. Cruise ships have become a symbol of the problem, with more than 100 docked each year.

A council of local authorities is trying to clean up the city, including banning the use of cannabis on the streets of the red light district.

In March, the city also launched an online campaign urging young Brits considering their stag or hen parties in Amsterdam to go elsewhere.

“locust plague”

Amsterdam has become a victim of its own popularity. Every year it is visited by 20 million tourists.It has a reputation as a party town.

“Cruise ships in the city center do not fit into Amsterdam’s plan to reduce tourist numbers,” said Ilana Roderkerk of the liberal D66 party that governs the city alongside the Labor Party and environmentalists.

Rooderkerk recently compared cruise ship tourists to sorts “locust plague” that suddenly descended upon the city.

Other officials in Amsterdam have refrained from this kind of language.

But the city’s mayor, Vimke Halsema, complained last year that tourists on cruise ships are left loose for a few hours, eat at international chains and have no time to visit a museum.

The other main reason for withdrawing cruise ships is to reduce air pollution levels in Amsterdam.

A 2021 study of a large cruise ship found that it produced the same levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in a single day as 30,000 truckloads.

Other docking sites farther from the city center have been under consideration for a while, but no decision has been made yet.

On the other hand, Amsterdam has announced plans to promote a youth nightlife culture.

The city has set its goal of finding nocturnal venues, such as tunnels and unused garages, to develop the talent of “creative young people who like to stage something at night.”

BBC World