Amsterdam to close cruise port in pollution fight
Amsterdam's city council decided Thursday to close a major cruise ship terminal in its centre, officials confirmed, 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 centre-right party D66, which runs the city with the social democrats PvdA and GroenLinks environmentalists. The party also noted that the passage of cruise ships was not compatible with plans for 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 centre 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-fuelled parties. The city has long been trying to curb rowdy behaviour such as stag parties, especially near the red-light area where sex workers operate. The campaign, targetting young British men, involved online advertisements warning people searching for getaways to Amsterdam of the "consequences of anti-social behaviour and excessive drug and alcohol abuse". They includes fines, arrest, criminal records, hospitalisation and health issues, the campaigns says. (AFP)