AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS—Amsterdam is saying “no” to new hotels. “We want to make and keep the city livable, for residents and visitors. That means: no overtourism, no new hotels, and no more than 20 million hotel nights by tourists per year,” local government officials said.”
Previously granted rights for new hotels still apply. And old hotels that close may make way for new, sustainable, modern hotels.
The hotel policy was already strict. As of 2017, only three plans meet the conditions. Nevertheless, hotels are still under construction and hotels are being added. They already had rights before, such as a permit. There are still 26 initiatives ongoing.
Under certain conditions, a new hotel may only be built if a hotel closes elsewhere. The number of beds may not be increased. The hotel also needs to be better, for example more modern and/or sustainable. “We encourage hoteliers to choose a place outside the city center,” officials said.
The limit of 20 million overnight stays comes from the people’s initiative “Amsterdam has a choice”. A total of 30,000 Amsterdam residents called for control of visitor flows in the city. Amsterdam then laid down in a regulation that the number of tourist overnight stays may not exceed 20 million. The number of hotel nights in Amsterdam in 2023 was 20,665,000, excluding holiday rentals, bed and breakfast and cruise nights.
“That is why we are now taking more measures, so that the number of hotel nights does not increase even further,” officials said.
