Amsterdam to halve cruise ship numbers from 2026
Amsterdam is set to halve the number of cruise ships as part of an ongoing effort to tackle overtourism and improve residents’ quality of life.
Starting from 2026, local authorities have announced only a maximum of 100 cruise ships will be able to dock annually, with plans to permanently relocate the cruise terminal outside of the city centre by 2035.
“We want Amsterdam to be clean, liveable and sustainable,” the council said on Thursday (27 June). “Sea cruises are polluting and cause crowds and emissions in the city.”
Amsterdam’s passenger terminal will also see its berths go down from two to one “immediately” while cruise ships will be required to use shore power from 2027.
According to the council, which has already implemented a series of measures to curb overtourism, the restrictions will create an economic loss for the city, as many cruise ships will likely call at other nearby ports such as Rotterdam.
“The restriction will cause the expenditure of sea cruise passengers and shipping companies in Amsterdam to decrease,” authorities added.
“The income of the municipality will also decrease because less tourist tax is collected and the municipality earns less as a shareholder of the port authority.”
Commenting on the announcement, a Clia spokesperson said: “Today’s announcement is a great example of the cruise industry’s long-standing partnership with the Port of Amsterdam and the direct outcome of our collaborative discussions on the relocation of the passenger terminal outside the city centre, which started back in 2016.
“Amsterdam is and will remain a popular cruise destination, and cruise tourism will continue delivering important economic benefits to the city – to the tune of around €105 million annually.
“That economic contribution is particularly significant when you consider that of the more than 21 million visitors to Amsterdam each year, only around 1% arrive by cruise ship.
“It’s not accurate to say it is unexpected – this is part of a collaborative process that’s been ongoing for some time.”
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