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- Amsterdam has long wanted to keep ‘nuisance’ tourists away. First, it banned new hotels and now, it plans to ban cruises (fortune.com)
Amsterdam has reached its limit with the overwhelming number of tourists visiting each year. The city, a magnet for various travelers seeking experiences ranging from nightlife to scenic tulip fields, is struggling with the downside of its popularity, known as overtourism. Efforts have been made to reduce visitor numbers, including last year’s “Stay Away” campaign initiated to lessen the disruptive impact of tourists, according to Deputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki.
Continuing its effort to control tourism, Amsterdam is now targeting the cruise industry. The city plans to significantly reduce the number of cruise ships allowed in its harbor from the current 190 to just 100 by 2026, eventually phasing them out entirely by 2035, as part of broader measures to mitigate tourist-related nuisances, the city council revealed last week. Highlighting reasons for the crackdown, officials cited the pollution, congestion, and emissions caused by these ships, underscoring the city’s goal for a cleaner, more sustainable and livable environment.
The city council did not respond to a request for comment from Fortune.
As part of its strategy to manage the inflow of visitors, Amsterdam has been thinking of redirecting cruise ships to terminals outside the central city area due to the stress they place on its infrastructure. The mayor has previously criticized cruise tourists for contributing to overcrowding without significantly benefiting the city. The number of tourists soared from 12.6 million in 2019 to 15.1 million in 2023, further straining the city’s resources.
Amsterdam, renowned for its beautiful canals and museums, is endeavoring to move away from its party-city image. This has led to stricter regulations on activities such as smoking marijuana, particularly in the red-light district, and earlier this year, a halt on the construction of new hotels was imposed.
While cruise ships are not the predominant mode of entry to Amsterdam, they are one of the most environmentally detrimental. According to a 2021 study, the emission levels from one cruise ship can equal those from 30,000 trucks in a single day. Other European cities like Dubrovnik and Santorini have also limited cruise ship numbers to combat overtourism, and Venice has introduced a tourist tax to manage the impact.
By 2027, Amsterdam will also require boats to use shore power only, a cleaner alternative to diesel, and plans to reduce the number of river cruises. Though these initiatives might result in a significant financial loss—estimated between €46 million ($50 million) and €103 million ($111 million) according to Bloomberg—the city council believes that proactive measures are essential to avoid long-term costs related to degraded quality of life in the city.
“If we don’t act now, the city will become less attractive for both residents and businesses, which will ultimately be more costly,” a spokesperson from the council told Bloomberg.