The challenge
Crowds and rising rents in the historic center were driving residents away.
The case
Facing crowds and rising rents in its historic center, Amsterdam capped short-term home rentals at 30 nights a year and required registration, banned new tourist shops and then new hotels, and in 2023 launched a 'Stay Away' campaign aimed at young British men coming for drinking holidays. In 2024 it raised its tourist tax on hotel stays to 12.5%, the highest in Europe, and moved to limit cruise ships. Visitor numbers remain high, and the effects of individual measures are hard to separate.
Why the results were mixed
Combining pricing, rental limits and targeted messaging gives the city several levers. But with demand this strong, these measures shape tourism more than they reduce it.
Sources
- Lonely Planet (2023). Amsterdam will have Europe's highest tourist tax in 2024.
- Fortune (2024). Amsterdam plans to ban cruises to keep 'nuisance' tourists away.
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