Amsterdam is the latest European city to restrict cruise ships

As part of an effort to curb overtourism and alleviate pollution, government officials in Amsterdam have banned cruise ships from docking in the city center. According to the Guardian, Amsterdam's city council said that cruise ships were "incompatible" with the environmental and sustainability goals for the popular tourism destination. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema revealed that the city welcomes 22 million tourists every year, but said, "that's a little bit too much." Amsterdam is not the first city to ban cruise ships, as Venice announced in 2021 that it would ban large vessels from entering the city center. Barcelona is also curbing the number of cruise ship arrivals.

TravelPulse

The Universal Studios Florida theme park will open a land based on DreamWorks Animation characters in 2024, Universal Orlando has announced. Visitors can expect to see interactive play spaces and attractions based on "Gabby's Dollhouse," "Shrek," "Trolls" and "Kung Fu Panda." Universal Orlando's website indicates that the land would include meet-and-greet areas. A new name was not revealed for the area. On Aug. 11, Universal Studios is opening Minion Land near the entrance of the theme park. Its centerpiece is Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast, a moving-target experience, alongside Minion Cafe, stores and a character-meeting setup.

Orlando Sentinel