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The city has also long tried to control the crowds in its red-light district, where rowdy groups of tourists often cause disruptions to local residents. Venice banned allowing large ships to anchor in its historical district in 2021 after the damage to its lagoon prompted UNESCO to threaten to list the city on its endangered list. The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, recently declared that if she were elected again in May, she would restrict the number of cruise visitors to the city, according to The National News. The reduction of air pollution in Amsterdam is a major justification for eliminating cruise ships. One large cruise ship was discovered to have emitted the same amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in one day as 30,000 trucks, according to BBC which cited a 2021 study.
Amsterdam to ban cruise ships from city centre in latest crackdown on overtourism
Rembrandtplein, Leidseplein, and other busy districts of the city also became too crowded to live in, and stores selling wooden tulips, vacuum-packed cheese, and cannabis seeds had taken the place of pharmacies, greengrocers, and hair salons in the historic neighbourhood. However, the latest move comes in order to cut back on the inflow of tourists and reduce marine ollution from the giant vessels. Ms Rooderkerk recently compared cruise tourists to a type of "plague of locusts" descending all at once on the city. As per the new regulations, sex workers must now close their venues at 3 a.m., with bars and restaurants forced to close at 2 a.m. On Fridays and Saturdays and new visitors no longer permitted to enter the old city center after 1 a.m. Its reputation as a party city, with its cannabis cafes and historic red-light district, has led it to become a popular destination for stag-dos.
Amsterdam tourism, by the digits
Mary Roeloffs is a Forbes reporter who covers breaking news with a frequent focus on the entertainment industry, streaming, sports news, publishing, pop culture and climate change. She’s covered Netflix’s hottest documentaries, a surge of assaults reported on social media, the most popular books of the year and how climate change stands to impact the way we eat. Roeloffs was included on Editor & Publisher Magazine's “25 Under 30” list in 2023 and worked covering local news in the greater Boston area from 2017 to 2023. She graduated with a double major in political science and journalism from Northeastern University. Follow Roeloffs for continued coverage of streaming wars, pop culture news and trending topics. The ban proposal doesn't make mention of the strides the cruise industry has publicly committed to regarding curbing pollution, reducing emissions and combating climate change.
Amsterdam Bans New Hotel Construction to Help Curb Tourism - Robb Report
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‘A good cruise is one that doesn’t come’: Europe’s ports bear brunt of ship pollution
"Holland America Line has been bringing guests to and from The Netherlands for 150 years, and that tradition will continue for many years to come," the line told The Points Guy in a statement when asked how a ban might affect the brand's longstanding history in the region. "Cruise ships in the city centre also do not fit in with the task of combating mass tourism." Environmental concerns also contributed to the decision—the European Federation for Transport and Environment said in June that 63 cruise ships owned by the Carnival Corporation emitted 43% more sulfur oxides than Europe’s 291 million cars in 2022. The Cruise Lines International Association said in a statement that while the industry group was aware of reports about the future of cruising in Amsterdam, there was no ban in effect. The statement said the port and passenger terminal had already pledged to invest millions in infrastructure and shore-based electricity for future use.
Amsterdam bans cruise ships to limit visitors and curb pollution - BBC.com
Amsterdam bans cruise ships to limit visitors and curb pollution.
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
According to Cruise Port Amsterdam (CPA), the terminal owner, passenger numbers were increasing by around 10% annually until 2018, with a predicted influx of nearly 300,000 passengers this year. When the cruise industry shut down during the pandemic, coastal communities had a taste of life without mega ships looming over their shores. In the years since, ports in Amsterdam, Venice, Maine, Florida, California, and Alaska have all moved to restrict cruise tourism.
Timescale is Uncertain on When the Terminal Will Close
TPG has contacted Cruise Port Amsterdam and several cruise operators, including river lines, for more details on how the ban may affect scheduled cruises to the city and will update this story when we hear back. If approved, it will see the closure of Cruise Port Amsterdam on the river IJ near the city's main train station, Amsterdam Centraal Station. Ms Halsema, the city's first female mayor, has been the face of Amsterdam's campaign to clean up its streets, which welcome up to 22 million tourists each year, despite the city's relatively small size. The world's largest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas by Royal Caribbean, will set sail for the first time in January 2024. The ship includes 20 decks, seven pools and a waterpark, will carry almost 8,000 workers and passengers and tickets start at $1,851 per person. The discussions between the local government, Amsterdam port, and cruise industry are ongoing, and the next steps for the proposed ban have yet to be released.
"As the port has publicly stated, cruise ships have not been banned from Amsterdam," CLIA said. The Dutch capital’s council voted on Thursday to restrict the jumbo ships from docking in the city and aims to close its central cruise-ship terminal, according to a municipality spokesman. Dublin—Brexit was the reason cited for a limit to cruise liner traffic starting in 2019 at Dublin Port. At the time, 160 cruise ships’ calls were already booked for 2019, with 140 bookings set for 2020, the Irish Times reported, and in 2021 the number of allowed cruises was cut to 80. Officials said port capacity was needed for increased container traffic after the U.K.
The cruise ship ban was proposed to address ongoing concerns about pollution and over-tourism in Amsterdam. If enacted, the legislation would move the Dutch capital’s cruise terminal outside the city and no longer allow ships to dock in the central district. The decision follows a motion passed with a considerable majority in the city council. The resolution involves relocating the current cruise terminal to an area outside the city center. To appease the city’s 900,000 residents, the local government this spring introduced a raft of new measures aimed at sending a message to disruptive tourists to behave or stay away. It has banned the smoking of marijuana on the streets of its popular red-light district, mandated earlier closing hours for cafes and restaurants and prostitution businesses, and banned the sale of alcohol in stores after 4 p.m.
War On Cruise Ships? Amsterdam Latest Port To Limit Or Ban Cruise Liners
In addition to targeting the cruise industry, the city has also set limits on aviation, reducing the annual number of flights allowed to land at Schiphol airport by 40,000 flights per year. The timescale for the proposed closure of the terminal, which is conveniently located next to Amsterdam's main railway station and close to Schiphol airport, is uncertain. Alternative ports for visits to Amsterdam are Ijmuiden, 18 miles west of the city, or Rotterdam, which is more than an hour away by coach.
When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don’t cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Ms Halsema is determined to permanently shift the economic balance between residents and tourists, and rethink Amsterdam’s free-wheeling image as a magnet for sex- and drug-seeking vacationers. The region has another port about 18 miles east in IJmuiden that will not be impacted by the ban.
The other key reason for removing cruise ships is to lower air pollution levels in Amsterdam. A 2021 study of one big cruise ship found that it had produced the same levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in one day as 30,000 trucks. As cruise ships cannot connect to shore power in Amsterdam, they are a significant source of pollution and release sulfur, nitrogen, and particulate matter as their engines must remain running while in port. It would mean a considerable inconvenience for visiting cruise ship passengers, having to use busses or public transportation to reach the Amsterdam city center. The crackdown on cruises is the latest move by the city to reduce tourism in the Dutch capital, which has seen numerous recent campaigns to discourage tourists attracted by its infamous party town reputation and reduce group travel. Amsterdam’s decision follows a similar move implemented in Venice, Italy, in 2021, when authorities decided to ban ocean cruise ships weighing more than 25,000 tons or longer than 530 feet from entering Venice’s fragile lagoon.
Other mooring locations outside of the city centre have been considered for a long time, but nothing has been decided. Research commissioned by the city indicates that this measure would also result in ~200,000 fewer hotel nights booked in Amsterdam and reduce coach journeys by 64,400 kilometers. While the council has the power to enact this policy locally due to the Port Authority’s ownership by the municipality, the motion needs to be translated into law or regulation, which can be a lengthy process. Moving the terminal was first brought up in 2016, but little else has happened besides limiting the number of calls from 300 to 190.
But Mayor Femke Halsema complained last year that cruise tourists were let loose for a couple of hours, ate at international chains and had no time to visit a museum, consuming the city but doing little for it. "Cruise ships in the centre of the city don't fit in with Amsterdam's task of cutting the number of tourists," said Ilana Rooderkerk of the liberal D66 party, which runs the city along with the Labour party and environmentalists. The council has been trying to scrub up the city, banning cannabis smoking on the streets of the red-light district. Ultimately, cruise lines are skeptical that ships will be completely barred from docking in Amsterdam.
City leaders have not given any indication as to when they would officially implement the ban, or where the terminal might be relocated to. CLIA also addressed the pollution concerns, noting that operators are working to reduce emissions at sea and in port. The move comes amid a years-long effort to address the impact of overtourism in Amsterdam and follows a broader outcry over crowding from popular cruise destinations in Europe and elsewhere.
Amsterdam attracts more than 1 million tourists on average each month, surpassing its population of just over 800,000. The timeline and the details of implementation will be decided after consultations with various stakeholders, the spokesman said. "Amsterdam sails better without the cruise," said Ilana Rooderkerk of the liberal majority D66 party, per NYT. “Amsterdam sails better without the cruise,” says Rooderkerk in a statement, per Google Translate. “Holland America Line has been bringing guests to and from the Netherlands for 150 years, and that tradition will continue for many years to come,” the cruise line tells the Points Guy’s Jordan Waller in a statement.
But we have to do even more the coming years if we want to give tourism a sustainable place in our city,” Amsterdam’s deputy mayor, Sofyan Mbarki, stated when the campaign was unveiled. D66 politician Ilana Rooderkerk, who compared cruise passengers to a "plague of locust" in an opinion piece last month, said Amsterdam would "sail better" without cruise ships. In February, the council also banned people from smoking cannabis in the streets of the city's famous red-light district and ordered bars and restaurants to shut by 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.
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