Amsterdam Announces Plans to Close Cruise Ship Terminal

Authorities in Amsterdam have announced plans to close the city’s cruise ship terminal, citing concerns about over-tourism and pollution. Officials say cruise ship traffic is also incompatible with plans in the Dutch capital for a bridge connecting the north and south shores.

The city council voted in July 2023 in favor of a motion calling on the city to move the terminal away from its current location close to the central rail station. The terminal is operated by Cruise Port Amsterdam and serves about 150 cruise ships and 300,000 passengers per year.

“Polluting cruise ships are not in line with the sustainable ambitions of our city,” said Ilana Rooderkerk, leader of the centrist D66 party in Amsterdam, which runs the city with the social democrats PvdA and GroenLinks environmentalists.

She also said that the passage of cruise ships was not compatible with plans for a new bridge between the city’s historic southern district and the Noord district, which is undergoing development projects.

The closure of the terminal is the latest step in Amsterdam’s long-running campaign to reduce the impact of tourism on its narrow, cobbled streets and canals. Other measures include banning people from smoking weed in the red light district, moving some of the sex workers’ windows out of the city center, and launching a “Stay Away” campaign against nuisance tourism.

The city has not yet decided where to relocate the terminal or when to implement the closure. Dick de Graaff, director of Cruise Port Amsterdam, said the company was awaiting the municipality’s next move.

“There is no immediate closing of the terminal. The council’s call is to relocate the terminal – and we await a follow up from the alderman on investigations,” he told The Associated Press.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, msn.com, theguardian.com, usatoday.com