Amsterdam to close cruise ship port to limit tourism 

Amsterdam’s city council decided Thursday to close a major cruise ship terminal in its center, officials confirmed to AFP, the latest measure to limit mass tourism in the Dutch capital.

“Polluting cruise ships are not in line with the sustainable ambitions of our city,” said a statement from center-right party D66, which runs the city with the social democrats PvdA and GroenLinks environmentalists.

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The party also noted 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, the focus of recent development projects.

Other recent measures to restore quiet to the city’s historic center have included a ban on smoking cannabis on the streets of the red-light district.

And in March, Amsterdam launched a “Stay Away” campaign to discourage tourists planning drug- and alcohol-fueled parties.

The city has long been trying to curb rowdy behavior such as stag parties, especially near the red-light area where sex workers operate.

The campaign, targeting young British men, involved online advertisements warning people searching for getaways to Amsterdam of the “consequences of anti-social behavior and excessive drug and alcohol abuse.”

They includes fines, arrest, criminal records, hospitalization and health issues, the campaigns says.

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