Amsterdam Tourist Tax to Become Europe’s Highest in 2024 at 12.5%
Starting next year, Amsterdam will increase its tourist taxes, potentially claiming the top spot of the city with the highest tourist taxes within the European Union.
According to local media, the tourist tax is expected to increase by 12.5 per cent, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Considering an average room rate of €175 per person, the increase will translate into an increase in the night’s cost, rising from €15.25 to €21.80 by 2024. At the same time, the will also be a growth in the fee for cruise passengers from €8 to €11 per visitor.
In total, Amsterdam expects to generate €65 million in tourism tax revenue next year, following these changes.
Many Amsterdam residents are still struggling to keep their heads above water due to sharply increased prices. The costs for residents will remain the same in 2024. The tourist tax will increase: visitors will thus contribute to the city’s major tasks.
Buren also emphasised that this approach enables the addressing of the consequences of overcrowding by doubling the commitment to keeping the streets clean and solving urgent issues within the neighbourhoods.
In addition, Buren revealed that he had engaged in discussions with other cities facing similar tourism-related challenges, such as Venice and Barcelona.
According to him, the objective is to finance services for local residents without necessarily aiming to discourage individuals from visiting the city.
Amsterdam expects to receive over 20 million visitors this year, a significant proportion of whom are day trippers.
The Dutch capital has faced challenges posed by the growing influx of tourists, especially budget travellers who contribute to the problems and stay in the red-light district.
To address this issue, the city is currently rolling out a series of comprehensive measures to tackle the tourism problem. It has also committed to limiting the total number of domestic and foreign visitors to 20 million to manage the situation.
Previously, research conducted by VisaGuide.World revealed that Amsterdam has been named the top European capital destination for tourists in 2023, surpassing popular destinations such as Rome, Paris, and London.
The research findings described Amsterdam’s top ranking as “unsurprising” as the city’s appeal extends beyond its reputation for allowing the use of marijuana and is attributed to many attractive features, including its picturesque canals, stunning architecture, historical World War II memorials, as well as its vibrant culture, diverse cuisine, and warm hospitality.
