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The city of Amsterdam is stepping up its campaign against overtourism, adding to existing efforts to prevent problematic Britons from traveling abroad and crack down on tourist etiquette.
The latest measures plan to reduce the number of overnight guests by limiting the number of river cruises entering the Dutch capital’s waterways and banning the construction of new hotels, aimed at discouraging tourist travel. There is.
Proposals to restrict how tourists can enter and stay in the city are expected to reduce river cruise visitors by 271,000 a year and aim to limit overnight tourists to 20 million a year.
For river cruises, this means halving sailings to Amsterdam to just 1,150 ships a year by 2028. In 2023, 2,300 boats will enter the city’s canals, up from 1,327 in 2011.
Amsterdam City Council said in a statement: “Amsterdam must remain a great place to live for its residents and visitors. That is why we are working to combat overtourism. We will reduce the number of river cruise ships in the city by five years. We hope to reduce the number of river cruises by half within 2020, and increase the number to 1,150 by 2028. Reducing the number of river cruises will reduce congestion and improve the quality of life.”
In July last year, ocean-going cruise ships were banned from entering the city center.
Amsterdam City Council added: “River cruises contribute to congestion and carbon emissions in the city, including tourists, overnight stays, bus movements, and goods transportation.
“River cruises therefore remain part of Amsterdam’s tourist economy. We are focused on the most sustainable vessels that lead to green shore power.”
Accommodation limits for 20 million people will also be introduced in an attempt by the city council to curb the environmental and social impacts of overtourism.
Excluding vacation rentals, this is 665,000 fewer than the total number of hotel nights in 2023.
Regarding hotel construction, a new hotel will only be allowed to open if another hotel closes. The one-in, one-out system prohibits new establishments from opening with more beds than the previous one.
Although Amsterdam is “saying ‘no’ to new hotels”, 26 hotels already under development with the necessary permits will be exempted from the new construction rules.
“If a hotel closes elsewhere, a new one may be built only under certain conditions. There may not be more places to sleep. Hotels may also be more modern and/or more sustainable. “We encourage hotel owners to choose locations outside the centre,” local authorities said.
The boat and building ban comes after several measures over the past year, including a ban on cannabis in the red-light district, a hike in tourist taxes, a “Stay Away” campaign and an “Amsterdam Rules” quiz to deter unruly British visitors, have reduced crowds in the city. This was followed by other cull measures.
