In a bid to tackle
overtourism and ensure the city’s livability, Amsterdam officials have announced
a bold new policy banning the building of new hotels in the bustling Dutch capital,
The
Washington Post reported.
The new measures,
outlined in Wednesday’s announcement,
prohibit the construction of any new hotels unless they are replacing old ones
that have shut down. Even then, the new accommodations cannot surpass the bed
count of their predecessors and must be “better”, which the release said might mean
more modern or sustainable. Officials are also pushing for hoteliers to select
sites outside the congested historic city center.
This move comes as
part of a series of efforts aimed at curbing the overwhelming influx of
tourists into the city, which is widely known as a destination with lax drug
policies, legalized sex work and an overall tolerance for intense partying.
In the Dutch
capital, people can legally purchase up to five grams of cannabis, a substance that is widely available in coffee shops and cafes around the city. Its famous
neon-lit Red-Light District not only has prostitutes who display themselves
behind windows but also sex theatres, peep shows, strip clubs and sex shops,
as well as a variety of bars, clubs, cinemas and even museums.
All of this has
historically led to a constant flood of “nuisance” tourists that flock to the
city for nights of uninhibited revelry, although, in recent years, the local government
and officials have begun waging serious campaigns to curb this sort of disruptive
behavior.
Last year, the
city council implemented the "Tourism
in Balance in Amsterdam" policy, which limited the number of visitors
allowed in the city each year, counting both overnight stays and day visits. Given
that the visitor total in 2023 was 20,665,000, the newly released policy serves
to reinforce that regulation.
Also in 2023,
Amsterdam introduced its “Stay Away” initiative, which is aimed at deflecting a
certain demographic from coming to engage in rowdy behavior—specifically, British
men between the ages of 18 and 35, who frequently come to the city for their “stag”
(bachelor) parties and go buck wild, annoying residents.
In addition, hoping
to discourage distasteful visitor behavior, the city banned marijuana smoking
on the streets of its Red-Light District, while simultaneously reducing the
opening hours of certain restaurants and brothels, and imposing some alcohol
restrictions.
Furthermore, the
city officials have also greenlit a proposal to relocate a cruise ship
terminal, not only to address environmental concerns but also to alleviate the
congestion caused by hordes of tourists disembarking in the city center. And, just
this week, Amsterdam officials also announced plans to reduce
the number of river cruise ships that are permitted to ply its storied waterways.
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