Re:Amsterdam bans cruise ships to limit visitors and curb po...
by mcv on Saturday July 22, 2023 @07:46PM
(#36831121)
Not just cruise ships, though. British stag nights were also notorious for the excessive nuisance they created. Amsterdam is getting pickier about its tourists, and also about its tourism industry. A lot of shops that were aimed just at tourists have also been closed, or are at least harder to open. They want shops that (also) serve the locals.
People were complaining that the city had turned into a theme park, and that's not fun for the people living there, but ultimately also less attractive to many tourists, who prefer a vibrant, living city, and want to taste the local atmosphere.
Over 5 million tourists visit Amsterdam a year[1]; only a small fraction of that probably come from cruise ships. If banning those ships improves local quality of life and the tourist experience for non-cruise tourists, then it's probably a net win in terms of tax revenues (besides everything else).
[1]: https://amsterdam.org/en/facts-and-figures.php