Venice has also introduced a tax on hotel guests.
The Dutch city of Amsterdam has long tried to shed its reputation as a city of rowdy boy parties, drugs and sex, which it blames in part on an influx of around 20 million tourists a year.
Amsterdam has taken various measures to limit tourist numbers, with throngs of tourists gathering in the streets. Photo: Getty Images
Amsterdam announced this month that it would ban the construction of new hotels and halve the number of river cruise ships in the city within five years.
The government also decided last year to ban marijuana smoking on the streets of entertainment districts.
Crowds of tourists flock to the Old Town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, which has become even more popular with tourists since scenes from the TV series “Game of Thrones” were filmed there. Photo: Getty Images
The medieval walled city of Dubrovnik in Croatia is one of the busiest in Europe, with tourist flows sometimes making it impossible to walk through its historic old town.
This Adriatic jewel has seen a surge in visitor numbers since scenes from the TV series “Game of Thrones” were filmed within its walls in 2011. In 2023, the town of 41,000 people welcomed 1.2 million tourists, down from the 1.4 million recorded in 2019, the year local authorities limited cruise ship calls to two per day, with no more than 4,000 passengers on board at any one time.
It also launched an app that uses machine learning and weather forecasts to predict when the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town will be at its busiest.
A message to visitors spray-painted on a wall in Barcelona’s artist quarter, Vila de Gràcia. Photo: Getty Images
Located on the Mediterranean coast, Barcelona is the capital of the Catalonia region and home to Gaudi’s architectural masterpieces and Spain’s top football clubs.
Ada Colau, a left-wing former housing rights activist who served as mayor from 2015 until June 2023, cracked down on illegal Airbnb rentals that were accused of price fixing that locked locals out of the property market.
The city also restricted tourist groups from entering the historic La Boqueria market, especially during peak shopping hours.
Additionally, group sizes are limited to a maximum of 20 people throughout the center and guides are prohibited from using loudspeakers.
According to the city council, the number of tourists registering in hotels, residences and hostels in 2023 fell by 6.9% compared to the 2019 figures.
Tourists watch the hourly “Procession of the Apostles” of the Astronomical Clock in Prague’s Old Town Square. Prague is one of the European cities that imposes a tourist tax. Photo: Getty Images
Barcelona is one of many European cities that imposes a night-time tourist tax, which was increased by €0.50 this month to €3.25.
Paris, host city of the 2024 Summer Olympics, is asking for up to 14.95 euros per night.
Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, Prague and Vienna are also among European cities that set their own tourist tax rates, which are usually added to guests’ bills when they check out, but they are not as high as Amsterdam, which charges guests 7% of the room rate plus a flat rate of 3 euros per person per night.
Additional reporting by staff reporters
