Amsterdam Limits New Hotels and River Cruises to Combat Overtourism

Amsterdam has announced plans to limit new hotel construction and river cruises in the city to reduce tourist overcrowding. The Dutch capital aims to "safeguard the city from overtourism" by implementing measures similar to those introduced in Venice, where a €5 admission fee has been introduced for daytrippers to the historic center. Amsterdam is one of several European cities, including Barcelona and Dubrovnik, that are closely watching developments in Venice as they also confront the challenges of managing high levels of tourism.

The measures in Amsterdam are part of an effort to address the negative impacts of overtourism and preserve the city's cultural heritage and quality of life for residents. By 2028, the municipality aims to restrict the annual number of river cruises from around 2,300 in 2023 to just 1,150, which would cut tourist numbers by 271,000 per year and lead to a financial loss of 73.5 million euros. Additionally, the city is banning the construction of new hotels, with exceptions, to ensure that only existing hotels can acquire new sites and not increase their guest capacity.

Why this matters: Amsterdam's actions reflect a growing trend among popular European tourist destinations to manage the influx of visitors and mitigate the impact on local communities and infrastructure. The measures highlight the challenges cities face in balancing the economic benefits of tourism with the need to preserve cultural heritage and residents' quality of life.

The goal is to keep the number of tourist overnight stays below 20 million per year, which was not achieved in 2023 when there were 20.665 million hotel stays. These measures follow other steps taken by the city last year, such as banning weed in the Red Light District, increasing tourist tax, and launching a "Stay Away" campaign to deter rowdy British visitors.

Key Takeaways

• Amsterdam to limit new hotel construction and river cruises to curb overtourism.
• Aims to restrict river cruises from 2,300 to 1,150 annually, cutting 271,000 tourists.
• Banning new hotel construction, with exceptions, to maintain existing capacity.
• Measures to preserve cultural heritage and quality of life for residents.
• Goal to keep tourist overnight stays below 20 million per year, not achieved in 2023.