Amsterdam To Impose Europe's Highest Tourism Tax

The cost of a trip to Amsterdam will increase starting next year.

In 2024, Amsterdam will have the highest tourist tax in all of Europe, at 12.5% of the lodging rate. The price hike will effect cruise ship passengers as well as those staying in hotels, B&Bs, and other similar establishments. The present tourist tax in Amsterdam is 7%, however it is scheduled to rise. For an average lodging cost of €175 per night, this entails a tax increase from $16.18 to €21.80 the next year. Furthermore, the daily tax paid by cruise ship passengers will increase from €8 to €11.

This is now however a first. European countries now routinely levy charges on tourists. However, unlike in many other cities, Amsterdam's tourist tax is not calculated as a proportion of the cost of lodging but rather as a flat amount per day, paid in full by each guest at check-in. This one-of-a-kind strategy sometimes can causes consternation and extra expenditures among tourists.

Yet, the number of visitors to Amsterdam is expected to rise from 17 million in 2022 to over 20 million in 2023. There is an expanding dislike to this number of tourists, which is understandable given the city's population of roughly 900,000. Many locals and business owners have voiced their displeasure with the growing number of tourists by complaining about their disruptive conduct and the increased volume of traffic. The Amsterdam Tourism Policy emphasizes these issues, since it recognizes the importance of addressing problems caused by visitors, while the city officials are making concerted efforts to curb the kind of tourism that lowers living standards for locals.

The fee was introduced in large part to change foreigners' impressions of Amsterdam. Advertisements for Amsterdam's "infinite possibilities" have contributed to the city's reputation as a place where almost anything goes.

It is for this reason that municipal authorities are actively attempting to promote and support goods, services, and events that benefit the city and its citizens. Bars and clubs will close earlier, and people will no longer be allowed to use marijuana in public places as part of this initiative to reduce public disturbances.

This year, Amsterdam tourism authorities started the "Stay Away" campaign to warn young people against coming to the city for the purpose of binge drinking and other wild nightlife. The campaign's goal is to encourage considerate and ethical vacationing by making people more aware of the consequences of their actions.

The local administration has promised to reinvest the increased cash from the tourist tax in areas with the highest levels of poverty. The money will be used to help with things like youth centres and maintaining parks and other green areas.

The extra tourist tax is intended primarily to benefit the city's visitors rather than the locals. This was pointed out by Hester van Buren, the deputy mayor for finances in Amsterdam, who noted that citizens are already feeling the effects of inflation. Therefore, the tax hike next year will impact only visitors and not locals.

 

Source: lonelyplanet.com