Dutch authorities say the popular city of Amsterdam is overflowing with tourists. They hope to curb this growth by halting new hotel construction and reducing the number of hotel guests there each year.
New rules from Amsterdam’s local council will prohibit lodging establishments from raising bed limits and only allow new hotels to be built if another establishment closes, Euronews reports. That’s what it means.
Celebrations such as the recent King’s Day draw large numbers of tourists, but can also lead to increased littering, pickpockets, drinking and noise on the streets, according to Amsterdam City Council.
Efforts to control tourist numbers are aimed at making city residents more comfortable.
City authorities will also reduce the number of riverboat cruises allowed into the capital’s ports from about 2,300 berths in 2023 to about 1,150 by 2028, Euronews reports. It has been decided.
Travel magazines such as Travel Pulse said the city, known for its lenient drug policies and red-light district, could experience an overwhelming influx of tourists during certain seasons.
In 2023, the World Economic Forum released a report examining the problem of overtourism around the world. In it, the leaders spoke of the surge in excessive tourism following the severe downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In cities like Barcelona, the energy of anti-tourism sentiment permeates the population. The WEF described the surge in tourists as “rapid” and “relentless”.
The WEF said in its report that governments are encouraged to be decisive and firm in how they develop policies to address the issue of high tourism demand.
