According to a budget issued by the municipal council, Amsterdam is likely to surpass its own record for having the highest “tourist tax” in Europe, and probably the whole globe, next year.
According to the paper, “the tourist tax will be further increased to fund the additional spending so that visitors make a bigger contribution to the city.”
The daily fee for day visitors on cruise ships will rise from 8 to 11 euros, or $8.50 to $11.60, while the nightly fee included in the cost of hotel rooms will increase to 12.5% of the room rate.
In recent years, Amsterdam has worked to prevent over-tourism by taking steps like asking undesired tourists to stay away and limiting ship arrivals.
Additionally, it has been attempting to deter people from visiting the city in search of drugs and sex.
Amsterdam’s tourist tax has increased, why?
17 million visitors visited Amsterdam in 2022, and it is anticipated that this figure would reach over 20 million in 2023. Given that there are about 900,000 people living in the city, it is not surprising that there is a growing dislike of tourists.
Residents and businesses are deeply concerned about the mass tourist trend, which is mostly demonstrated by complaints about noise and disorderly conduct.
The Amsterdam Tourism Policy, which expressly recognises the need to handle nuisances and disruptions associated to tourism, emphasises these concerns.
The city is making an aggressive effort to stop the type of tourism that jeopardises the standard of living for its citizens.
Ivan Saprov Stated:
Ivan Saprov, the creator of the US-based travel technology business Voyagu, concurs that well-known tourist cities like Amsterdam have a justifiable justification for taxing every visitor.
He adds that Amsterdam is struggling to strike a balance between attracting tourists and keeping its own character.
“Whether the city really needs such a large number of tourists is a topic of continuing discussion. A plan to move the renowned Red-Light District is an example of this conflict.
