Amsterdam is preparing some of Europe’s toughest tourism rules, including plans to raise its tourist tax to 20% over the next decade as it steps up its response to overtourism.
City officials said the proposal is aimed at controlling visitor flows and reducing the pressure tourism places on daily life in the Dutch capital. The tax, which currently stands at 12%, would rise to 16% next year before increasing by 1 percentage point a year until it reaches 20% in 2030.
The package also includes possible changes to cruise tourism, higher entertainment taxes and a redesign of the historic centre. Officials said the money raised would be used to improve city services and ease the impact of tourism.
The measures are being developed by the new administration as part of a wider effort to make Amsterdam cleaner, safer and more liveable. Officials said they see the changes not as an attempt to shut tourism down, but as a move towards a more sustainable model.
Amsterdam has become one of Europe’s main flashpoints in the debate over overtourism, with short stays and heavy visitor numbers putting strain on the city in recent years.
The proposed tax rise is the centrepiece of the plan. If approved, it would make Amsterdam one of the most heavily taxed tourist destinations in Europe.
Officials said the cruise sector is also under review, with the closure of the city-centre cruise terminal among the options being considered. They also want to increase the visitor levy on entertainment and reshape parts of the historic core.
The changes are likely to draw attention from the wider travel industry as cities across Europe wrestle with how to balance tourism income against congestion, housing pressure and complaints from residents.
Amsterdam’s approach follows a broader trend among destinations trying to limit the effects of mass tourism while keeping visitor numbers high enough to support local businesses. The city’s latest plan suggests that tax policy will be used as one of the main tools in that effort.
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