Amsterdam, one of Europe’s top tourist destinations, is grappling with a growing problem. The city, known for its legal prostitution and marijuana use, is seeing an increase in various incidents due to the influx of tourists attracted to these features.
According to Reuters, Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, announced on the 17th that it would no longer build new hotels.
Amsterdam’s policy is to respond to overtourism. The city demonstrated that it wants to make and maintain the city as a place where residents and visitors can live well and will keep the annual number of hotel stays by tourists to less than 20 million.
Amsterdam is a top tourist destination in Europe, attracting 20 million tourists annually. Canals, bicycles, museums, and art galleries are fashionable, but the other side differs. With prostitution and marijuana being legal, there are red-light districts near Amsterdam Station with soaring drug tourism.
Since public safety is unstable, citizens of Amsterdam commonly believe that it’s ordinary for accidents to occur when the sun goes down. The Dutch authorities have also implemented assorted regulations to suppress tourism for prostitution and drugs.
In particular, an ordinance was enacted last year that if the number of tourists exceeds 18 million in a year, the city council must mandatorily respond to over-tourism.
In addition, the number of cruise ships entering Amsterdam was reduced by half by 2028. The number of cruise ships entering last year was about 2,300. This measure is expected to cause an economic impact of 73.5 million euros ($84 million) annually, but they are willing to accept it.
0Despite these measures by the Dutch authorities, experts predict the effects will be minimal. Professor Ko Koens of InHolland University’s Urban Tourism Department said, “The government’s new hotel regulations may only make the accommodation more expensive,” and “It may make Amsterdam less attractive to visit, but it seems that tourists don’t care at the moment.”
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