Dutchies have yet another win to celebrate, as they are now proud owners of the world’s fourth most powerful passport in the WORLD. 🥳

Nabbing a joint fourth place in the Henley Passport Index, the Netherlands has moved up the ranks from fifth place in 2022.

What does that mean for Dutch passport holders? As the index compares how many destinations you can travel to without needing to organise and/or pay for a visa, the Dutch are now even more mobile.

In other words, no need to make a visa appointment months before your trip, no extra money to cash out on top of holiday expenses, and no anxious nail-biting waiting to find out if the visa’s been approved. 

Hassle-free travel for the Dutch

The Dutch passport has moved up one spot since last year and is now tied in fourth place with Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Meaning, that they can easily travel to a whopping 188 countries without a visa! 😲

Which country’s in first place, you ask? Nabbing a win for Asia, Singapore takes the crown. 👑 As owners of the most powerful passport in the world, Singaporeans are able to travel hassle-free to 192 countries.

Sitting between Singapore and the Netherlands, let’s just say that the countries in second and third place are facing some pretty stiff competition. In joint second place, the über-mobile Germany, Italy, and Spain are all tied neck and neck. 

In third place, seven countries share the lofty position: Austria, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden.

Dying to know if your country made the list? Have a look at the remaining top 10 strongest passports in the world! 👇

Got a Dutch passport? Book those last-minute getaways secure in the knowledge that you probably won’t need to worry about a visa.

(Or, for the rest of us, it might be time to cycle to the immigration office with an orange hat and a boterham in your mouth, demanding a Dutch passport. 😉)

Where did your country rank on the list? Tell us in the comments below!

Hoards of tourists climbing off a massive cruise ship in Amsterdam will now be a thing of the past — and we (along with many of the city’s residents) can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. 

That’s right! Cruise ships are now banned from Amsterdam’s city centre. Why, you ask? Not only to limit tourist numbers but also to reduce pollution. 

According to BBC News, large, tourist-filled vessels are not in line with the Dutch capital’s sustainable ambitions. As a result, the central cruise terminal on the River IJ behind  Amsterdam’s main train station will close. 

Can we just say, we’re totally “on board” with their plans. 😉

No smooth sailing for cruise ships in Amsterdam

With more than 100 cruise ships mooring in Amsterdam per year, these giant floating resorts have become quite a problem. 

READ MORE | 33 best things to do in Amsterdam in 2023 [UPDATED]

While, you may think tourists are good for the economy, in this instance, that isn’t the case. Cruise tourists visit the capital city for only a few hours, where they often eat at international chains and don’t visit museums.

Basically, there’s not much in it for Amsterdam. 

Another issue that comes with cruise ships is the large amounts of pollution that accompany them. 

How much are we talking? A single cruise ship can produce the same amount of nitrogen oxides in one day as 30,000 trucks. The city is only too happy to be saying doei to that much pollution! 👋

Another push against tourism in Amsterdam

The banning of cruise ships is just a recent attempt to reduce the nuisance caused by extreme levels of tourism in Amsterdam. 

READ MORE | Rows of TikTok tourists take over Amsterdam’s city centre

Just this year, the city council launched an online campaign to keep British men away and banned smoking cannabis on the capital’s streets. For Amsterdam, this ban is another step in the direction towards creating a quieter, more sustainable city. 

What do you think of the ban on cruise ships? Tell us in the comments!