Amsterdam bans cruise ships to limit tourists and curb pollution

The city council of Amsterdam is taking drastic measures to curb pollution by limiting the number of tourists that arrive annually in the party city.

In the latest move in line with the city’s sustainable ambitions, Amsterdam has decided to ban cruise ships from the city’s centre.

The move implies that the cruise terminal on the IJ River near the Amsterdam main train station will be shut down.

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“Polluting cruise ships are not in line with the sustainable ambitions of our city," the centre-right party D66 said in a statement. D66 calls the shots in Amsterdam council, along with democrats and environmentalists.

Amsterdam’s tourism problem

The city attracts a staggering 20 million tourists annually, triggering environmental concerns and demands to clamp down on tourism.

Now, a ban on cruise ships is expected to divert visitors away from the Dutch capital, a move passed by a large majority in the council.

The city earlier also ran a campaign aimed at encouraging tourists to stay away from Amsterdam.

“Stay Away” campaign

Amsterdam ran a ‘Stay Away’ campaign in March to discourage tourists planning drug and alcohol parties in the city.

It specifically warned British people of the “consequences of antisocial behaviour and excessive drug and alcohol abuse”.

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The warning came amidst reports of increasing rowdy behaviour in the city’s red-light area where sex workers operate.

Flight number to be reduced

Amsterdam is also looking forward to reducing the number of flights at its Schiphol airport to curb air as well as noise pollution in the city.

The government is set to reduce flight numbers by 8 per cent to 460,000 a year at one of Europe's busiest hubs.
The aviation industry finds itself under increasing scrutiny due to its environmental footprint.

Senior executives have been closely monitoring the Dutch government's recent legislative actions aimed at curbing flying, raising concerns that this could potentially signal the beginning of a broader movement to constrain flight growth in Europe, despite the sector's strong recovery from the pandemic.

According to Financial Times, Schiphol is the EU’s third biggest airport and served 53mn passengers in 2022, connecting 313 destinations.

But the government is under pressure to reduce nitrate emissions and pollution in the densely-packed country.

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