Amsterdam BANS construction of new hotels in latest tourism crackdown after ... trends now
Amsterdam has banned the construction of new hotels anywhere in the city as part of their latest tourist crackdown after launching a campaign to keep Brits away from the Dutch capital.
'We want to make and keep the city liveable for residents and visitors. This means: no over-tourism, no new hotels, and no more than 20million hotel overnight stays by tourists per year,' the local government announced in a statement on Wednesday.
As part of the fight against mass tourism, a new hotel in Amsterdam will only be able to be built if another hotel closes, if the number of sleeping places available in the city does not increase and if the new hotel will be better - for example, more sustainable.
However, there will be some exceptions to the policy, the mayor Femke Halsema said in a statement.
The rule does not apply to new hotels that have already secured a permit.
Amsterdam has banned the construction of new hotels as the city cracks down on mass tourism
The city aims to keep the number of tourist overnight stays below 20million annually
Despite seven years of tighter policies towards new hotels, two dozen are still in the planning stage at the moment.
The city has been actively trying to limit tourist numbers, which run into the millions per year, mainly by discouraging sex and drug-related tourism to the red light district.
There was already a ban on constructing new hotels in many areas of the city, but due to the new ban, the entirety of Amsterdam will become a 'no area' for new hotels.
This decision has been made in a bid to keep a lid on the number of tourists who visit the popular holiday hotspot.
The city aims to keep the number of tourist overnight stays below 20million annually.
According to the NL Times, in 2023 alone, there were over 20.6million hotel stays - not counting the people who stayed in holiday homes, B&Bs, or on cruises.
The new 20million limit is the result of a petition signed by 30,000 Amsterdammers who called for tighter measures within the tourism sector.
'However, despite the strict hotel policy, new hotels are still under construction and a number of new hotels are being added,' the city stated.
'This is due to projects
