Cruise Ships Banned By Amsterdam Referendum

A political group proposed moving the cruise port outside of the city because of pollution and congestion.

 

Amsterdam has already tightened down on visitors who cause trouble and on those who use marijuana in public. Now, the city council is cracking down on another nuisance: the massive cruise ships that visit a port not far from the heart of the Netherlands' capital.

The political organization D66 Amsterdam announced that the city council had approved their plan to move the port, essentially preventing cruise ships from docking in the city. The plan was created as a way to ease locals' worries about air pollution from passing ships and the influx of visitors during port calls.

The city council's adoption of the motion was officially announced in an email from Anouk Panman on behalf of the deputy mayor Hester van Buren, stating that the city of Amsterdam will look into the feasibility of implementing the idea. According to Panman, the concept has not yet been explored with collaborators in the North Sea Canal region. The proposal's implementation would take some time and specifics are not yet available.

Director of the cruise port operator Dick de Graaff said that the terminal would not be closed straight-away but rather would remain open to see what the municipality would decide to do.

The decision follows years of work to mitigate the effects of over-tourism in Amsterdam and a more general uproar over congestion at prominent European and global cruise ports.

Large cruise ships are currently prohibited from entering Venice directly. A few years ago, Dubrovnik, Croatia, adopted measures to restrict the number of cruise ship passengers who may dock in the city at once. And in late 2020, Key West locals decided to ban mega ships, a decision that was later reversed.

On the other hand, the Cruise Lines International Association released a statement saying that despite rumours to the contrary, cruising is not banned in Amsterdam. Port and passenger terminal officials have already committed millions to upgrading infrastructure and installing shore-based energy, according to the press release. The trade association estimated that 1 percent of tourists to Amsterdam come annually by cruise ship, with an economic impact of roughly €105 million.

The statement underlined that the association is still advocating for the cities that stand to gain from cruise tourism and working with the authorities to meet the opinions stated by Council members. As for pollution, CLIA said that companies are trying to cut down on emissions both at sea and at port as an alternative. The release acknowledged that "sustainable marine fuels and technologies are not yet accessible at scale," but said that cruise companies were making "significant efforts" to find solutions.

 

Source: washingtonpost.com