The Amsterdam City Council has approved a proposal to ban cruise ships from bringing visitors as part of the city's latest move to control overtourism.
Amsterdam Red Light District Center
A spokesman for Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Hester van Buren, who is responsible for the city's port, told CNN that the council approved a proposal to close the city's cruise ship terminal this Thursday.
The centre-left D66 party, which sits in the council, confirmed in a statement on Thursday that the proposal had been “passed with a large majority”. D66 party chair Ilana Rooderkerk stressed in the statement: “polluting cruise ships are no longer compatible with Amsterdam’s sustainable development ambitions”.
“Cruise ships in the city centre are not in line with Amsterdam’s goal of reducing tourism,” Rooderkerk added.
Amsterdam is expected to welcome more than 18 million overnight visitors this year. By 2025, that number could reach 23 million, in addition to 24 to 25 million day-trippers. Under a 2021 decree called “Balanced Amsterdam Tourism,” when the number of overnight visitors reaches 18 million, the council is “obliged to intervene” to reduce the number of visitors.
Earlier this year, the city launched a campaign to revamp its approach to tourism, notably including tactics specifically designed to discourage British tourists from attending stag parties.
The online campaign "Stay Away" aims to deter young British men planning to party in Amsterdam, warning visitors aged 18 to 35 about the consequences of drinking too much, taking drugs or engaging in disorderly behaviour.
Amsterdam also announced this year it would ban cannabis use on the streets and take new steps to crack down on drinking in its red-light district…
This follows the city's announcement in 2019 that it would close tours of the red light district, citing concerns about sex workers being treated as a tourist attraction.
In an effort to "limit tourism and prevent nuisances", Amsterdam also plans to limit river cruises, convert hotels into offices and impose earlier closing times for bars and nightclubs.
However, it's unlikely that the city center will become a no-visitor zone anytime soon, a spokesperson for the deputy mayor told CNN , while admitting the proposal would "take some time" to implement.
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