Amsterdam’s New Hotel Policy: A Bold Move to Control Overtourism
Amsterdam, known for its vibrant culture and historical landmarks, has once again made headlines with its latest attempt to manage the overwhelming influx of tourists. Despite numerous initiatives aimed at reducing mass tourism, the city continues to experience an unmanageable number of visitors, prompting a new wave of regulations.
Recent years have seen Amsterdam adopt several notable measures to curb overtourism, such as the “Stay Away” campaign targeting nuisance tourists, a prohibition on red-light district tours effective from January 2020, and a city-wide ban on street smoking of marijuana in key neighborhoods from May 2023. Furthermore, July 2023 saw a vote to limit cruise ship access to the city center, though this is yet to be enacted.
Nevertheless, the number of tourists continues to climb, with a record 20.67 million hotel overnight stays recorded in 2023, excluding other forms of accommodation. This has prompted Amsterdam’s city council to take even more drastic steps to maintain the city’s livability for both residents and visitors. Among the most significant of these is the new policy effectively halting the construction of new hotels.
This latest measure builds on a policy from 2017 but introduces tighter restrictions. New hotels can now only open if an existing one closes, and they must not increase guest capacity but should aim for higher sustainability standards. Currently, there are 26 hotel projects that will proceed as they have already obtained permits.
Other efforts to manage tourism include reducing the number of river cruise moorings and capping the annual tourist nights in hotels at 20 million. The city’s overarching goal, as outlined in the 2021 “Tourism in balance in Amsterdam” ordinance, is to keep visitor numbers below 20 million annually, with preemptive measures required if figures approach 18 million.
The restriction on new hotels has stirred a mixed response. Local hoteliers, such as Remco Groenhuijzen of the Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre and chairman of Luxury Hotels of Amsterdam, speculate that these regulations might drive hotel development to neighboring cities like Zaandam and Haarlem. This could inadvertently keep tourist numbers high in Amsterdam due to the efficient local transport links.
Moreover, the constrained hotel supply could drive up prices, potentially deterring budget-conscious tourists who visit for cultural attractions like the Rijksmuseum. The ultimate impact of Amsterdam’s stringent new policies on tourism and local life remains to be seen, especially as the city gears up for another busy tourist season.