Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels

Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city

The City of Amsterdam announced that is expanding and making more comprehensive a restriction, in place since 2017, that made the opening of new hotels on its territory rather difficult. The new regulation states that no new hotels will be allowed in the Dutch capital unless an older one closes.

Official Amsterdam policy is to limit the number of hotel stays in the city to under 20 million. However, last year, the total reached 20,665,000 excluding cruises and holiday rentals. The move is seen as part of the overall “stay away” strategy, which has implemented various measures to curb the number of tourists to the city, especially those of a rowdier persuasion.

Still, before the ban kicks in definitively, there are plans to open 26 new hotels in Amsterdam. The reason for that is that these establishments had already been licenced or because local zoning laws allow them, city tourism chief Sofyan Mbarki said on Wednesday, according to Dutch News.

Either way, even when meeting the rule of opening a new hotel only when an older one shuts down, the new hotel has to meet certain criteria. The number of sleeping places in the establishment shouldn’t be larger than the one it is replacing, and the new hotel should be better in quality – for example, more sustainable.

‘Stay Away’ campaign against overtourism

For several years now, the Amsterdam authorities have been working on turning the image of their city from an all-things-go destination to a city that is classy and livable. Part of this has necessitated initiating campaigns to discourage party-seeking tourists from making a stop there.

Some of the regulations taken in that regard have been banning cruise ships and closing the cruise terminal, plus halving the number of river cruises in the next five years.

In addition, the local authorities have instituted a ban on smoking cannabis in public, forced bars to close earlier and considered moving the Red Light District sex workers to a suburban part of Amsterdam.