 "A woman takes a photograph as a boat cruises along a canal in Amsterdam, on April 12, 2024. AFP file")
The Netherlands’ solution to curb overtourism in the capital city of Amsterdam is to ban the construction of new hotels, according to a decree issued by the local government.
The government in Amsterdam, on Wednesday, said, “We want to make and keep the city liveable for residents and visitors. This means: no overtourism, no new hotels, and no more than 20 million hotel overnight stays by tourists per year.”
A new hotel can only be built in the city on three conditions: if an old hotel shuts down, if the number of places to sleep doesn’t increase, or if the new hotel will be better.
The new rules, however, would not be applied to hotels that have already received permission to be constructed.
Amsterdam has been battling with mass tourism for the past couple of years and to tackle the issue the local administration coming up with innovative ways to keep travellers away from the city.
While the city is home to about 800,000 people, Amsterdam attracts 20 million tourists a year.
In 2023, the city restricted the operation of cruise ships, saying, “Cruise ships in the heart of the city do not fit into Amsterdam’s goal of reducing the number of tourists.”
Amsterdam also launched a ‘stay away’ campaign to keep rowdy sex and drug tourists at bay. Particularly, partying too wildly is not an option for young Britishers coming to the city as their post-party behaviour creates a nuisance.
The campaign aims to keep check the conduct of young travelers who come to the city solely to engage in excessive partying using alcohol and drugs.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsDeputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki had earlier said, “If we love the city, we have to act now. Much has been done in recent years, but we need to do even more in the coming years. In recent months, I have talked to many different groups: residents, businesses, experts and interest groups. From these discussions, it has become clear that everyone cares about the city and that intervention is needed to counter the nuisance and overcrowding.”