Amsterdam to move cruise terminal out of city centre by 2035
Amsterdam will relocate its cruise terminal away from the city centre by 2035 in a bid to combat “nuisance” and over-tourism
The city council also plans to almost halve the number of ships allowed to dock at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) by 2026 from 190 to 100 per year.
The PTA will return to one berth and ships will be required to use shore power by 2027. The measures come as the council looks to limit the growth of tourism and combat nuisance.
Alderman Hester van Buren said the council wants a “liveable, clean and sustainable” city. “Sea cruise is a polluting form of tourism and contributes to crowds and emissions in the city,” she claimed.
“By limiting sea cruises, requiring shore power and aiming for the cruise terminal (PTA) to move from its current location in 2035, the council is responsibly implementing the council’s proposal to stop sea cruises.
“With these balanced steps, the council tries to meet what is reasonable and acceptable to all parties, within the agreements already made in the context of the North Sea Canal Area (NZKG) and Sprong over the IJ.”
The council said neighbouring city Rotterdam can take the more than 40 ships which will no longer be allowed to dock in Amsterdam from 2026.
A CLIA spokesperson said the announcement is a “great example” of the cruise industry’s partnership with the Port of Amsterdam and the outcome of discussions on the relocation of the terminal, which started in 2016.
Amsterdam ‘is and will remain’ a popular cruise destination, says CLIA
Last year the trade body issued a statement saying that “cruise ships have not been banned from Amsterdam”, following media reports regarding the city’s decision to close the central cruise terminal.
“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 Euros annually,” the spokesperson added.
“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.”
