Amsterdam prohibits the construction of new hotels as a measure to address overtourism.

Key Points:

• The municipal government of Amsterdam has declared a prohibition on new hotel construction.
• This action is a component of broader strategies to address the challenges posed by excessive tourism and to preserve the city's quality of life for both inhabitants and tourists.
• The objective is to mitigate the effects of overtourism and cap the annual number of hotel stays at 20 million.

In a bid to address the challenges posed by mass tourism, Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, will no longer authorize the construction of new hotels, as announced by the local government on April 17.

The aim is to maintain the city's livability for both residents and visitors, with a focus on preventing overtourism and limiting the annual number of hotel overnight stays by tourists to 20 million.

Under the new regulations, the establishment of a new hotel in Amsterdam will only be permitted if another hotel closes, if there is no net increase in the number of sleeping accommodations, or if the new hotel offers improvements such as enhanced sustainability.

However, hotels that have already obtained permits are exempt from these new regulations, according to authorities in the Netherlands.

Introducing Initiative to Deter Specific Types of Tourism

In 2022, Amsterdam launched a campaign named “Stay Away” aimed at discouraging certain forms of tourism.

This initiative followed Amsterdam's permissive laws regarding drugs, sex, and alcohol, which had contributed to the city's reputation as a place where anything goes.

In February of the previous year, the Dutch capital restricted the sale of cannabis to the Red-Light District and reorganized coffee shops to minimize the impact on residents from tourists drawn to the city for drug-related activities, among other reasons.

In December 2023, Amsterdam revealed plans to relocate the Red-Light District to discourage party-oriented tourists from congregating in the city center.

At that time, Mayor Femke Halsema addressed a letter to members of the Amsterdam City Council outlining a comprehensive proposal to establish a multi-story complex named the “Erotic Center” outside the city center and to relocate the area's 100 brothels from the Red-Light District.

Among other provisions, the proposal specifies that the window brothels would be visible only from inside the building, unlike their current exposure to passersby.

As part of the Amsterdam Accord 2022-2026, the coalition has committed to reducing the number of window displays in the Red-Light District by relocating some to an erotic center, providing sex workers with greater control over their work. The first step involves identifying a potential site for the Erotic Center (EC). - Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema

Research conducted by VisaGuide.World last year revealed that Amsterdam was chosen as Europe's top capital city destination.

The research focused on the factors travelers prioritize when selecting a destination, with Amsterdam surpassing other renowned cities such as Rome, London, and Paris.