A ban on the construction of new hotels in Amsterdam, as part of measures to combat mass tourism, has been announced by the local government of the Dutch capital.
“We want to make and keep the city livable for residents and visitors. That means no over-tourism, no new hotels and no more than 20 million hotel nights by tourists annually,” a statement said.
A new hotel in Amsterdam can only be built if another hotel is booked, if the number of beds does not increase and if the new hotel is of better quality – for example, more sustainable and of at least 4-star category.
However, the rule does not apply to new hotels that have already secured a building permit, with the city’s mayor, Femke Halsema, specifically stating that 26 hotels in total have already secured a permit.
The new ban is largely symbolic, as only three proposals for new hotels have met the city’s already strict requirements since 2017, the New York Times reported.
The new ban is largely symbolic, as only three proposals for new hotels meet the city’s already strict requirements from 2017, the New York Times reported.
In total, Amsterdam has nearly 42,000 hotel rooms that can accommodate more than 92,000 guests, according to Statistics Netherlands, representing about 28 % of the 150,000 hotel rooms in the entire country.
The ban on hotel construction is the latest in a series of measures taken by the Dutch capital to mitigate the city’s over-tourism problem.
Amsterdam also announced this week that it will begin reducing the number of river cruises allowed to dock in its waters. In 2023, that number was 2,125, while in 2028, the city wants to halve that number to around 1,150.
Last year, Amsterdam’s city council also banned the use of cannabis on public streets in the “Red Lanterns” district.
Meanwhile, the municipality of Amsterdam is seeking to relocate the famous ‘Red Lanterns’ district in an attempt to remove the infamous tourists from the city centre and reshape the city’s image from that of a destination for frenetic entertainment.
As part of the initiatives undertaken, a ‘Stay Away’ advertising campaign was launched in March 2023, aimed at the UK market and aimed at discouraging UK travellers aged 18 to 35 from visiting the city for the purpose of binge drinking.
