Overtourism in Amsterdam
Its historic network of canals and bridges has led to Amsterdam’s moniker of ‘Venice of the North’; however in recent years less favourable comparisons have been drawn between the two cities. Just like Venice, Amsterdam is struggling to stem the tide of tourists that floods its streets every year as overtourism blights another European city.
Many Amsterdam residents consider the number of tourists – around 20 million a year – to be unsustainable, and the situation is stretching Amsterdam’s hospitality to its limits.
Many Amsterdam residents consider the number of tourists – around 20 million a year – to be unsustainable, and the situation is stretching Amsterdam’s hospitality to its limits.
Causes of overtourism in Amsterdam
The Netherlands, and especially Amsterdam, invests heavily in tourism. Money pours into marketing the city as a tourist destination and works so well that Amsterdam has now become a victim of its own success.
The rise of poorly regulated holiday rental companies like Airbnb, which often make travelling cheaper in many cases take whole properties off the market. Currently, more than 79 percent of Amsterdam’s listings on the platform are for entire homes or apartments. Combined with cuts in new homes being built, this has led to spiralling rents across the city, and many residents are now simply priced out of the rental market, having to travel further and further if they still need to work in Amsterdam.
We also have budget airlines to thank for the proliferation of cheap travel and the issues it engenders. With the ever increasing availability of low cost flights, where a return ticket from London to Amsterdam can cost as little as two seats at the cinema, the number of air passengers, and repeat flyers, is steadily growing. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is one of the ‘best connected’ airports in the world, handling a staggering 60 million passengers per year. Many of them will be popping to Amsterdam for a convenient and cheap city break.
The rise of poorly regulated holiday rental companies like Airbnb, which often make travelling cheaper in many cases take whole properties off the market. Currently, more than 79 percent of Amsterdam’s listings on the platform are for entire homes or apartments. Combined with cuts in new homes being built, this has led to spiralling rents across the city, and many residents are now simply priced out of the rental market, having to travel further and further if they still need to work in Amsterdam.
We also have budget airlines to thank for the proliferation of cheap travel and the issues it engenders. With the ever increasing availability of low cost flights, where a return ticket from London to Amsterdam can cost as little as two seats at the cinema, the number of air passengers, and repeat flyers, is steadily growing. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is one of the ‘best connected’ airports in the world, handling a staggering 60 million passengers per year. Many of them will be popping to Amsterdam for a convenient and cheap city break.
How does overtourism affect Amsterdam?
Many Amsterdam residents feel that the tourism industry has had a marked negative impact on their local neighbourhoods. With the steady increase in footfall to the city centre comes the opening of yet another new shop or restaurant catering predominantly to visitors, creating the overall impression of living in a theme park. The streets feel less lived in, and even the tourists have started complaining that they only see other tourists. The homogenisation of the city centre risks ruining the very character of that people come to experience in the first place.
The major impact of overtourism is the displacement of local people. Young families in particular are struggling to find affordable housing in the city and, as more apartments are rented out full time to visitors, many residents are starting to find that they don’t know their neighbours anymore. Fewer facilities, from GP practices to shops, make living in the city increasingly impractical.
Poor behaviour of some tourists is also a problem in Amsterdam and, while it’s easy to just point the finger at the stag and hen parties that flock to Amsterdam, concerns are more generally targeted at groups of 18-34 year olds who visit for the weekend. Typical offensive behaviour includes public urination and vomiting, littering, drunkenness and noise. Issues have also arisen around a lack of awareness of the drug laws in Amsterdam, which leads to crime in certain parts of the city. City officials have also voiced worries about the impact of Red Light District tours, citing overcrowding and disrespectful behaviour (leering and photography).
Poor behaviour of some tourists is also a problem in Amsterdam and, while it’s easy to just point the finger at the stag and hen parties that flock to Amsterdam, concerns are more generally targeted at groups of 18-34 year olds who visit for the weekend. Typical offensive behaviour includes public urination and vomiting, littering, drunkenness and noise. Issues have also arisen around a lack of awareness of the drug laws in Amsterdam, which leads to crime in certain parts of the city. City officials have also voiced worries about the impact of Red Light District tours, citing overcrowding and disrespectful behaviour (leering and photography).
How is Amsterdam dealing with overtourism?
Faced with the fallout from overtourism, the Dutch tourism board has made the move away from ‘destination promotion’ to ‘destination management’, pledging its intention to make sure every Dutch person benefits from tourism.
Some of Amsterdam’s more anti-social tourist activities and attractions are being re-evaluated, but it seems a ‘soft-touch’ approach is currently being taken. Mooted bans of Red Light District tours and noisy ‘Beer Bikes’ have not happened. Stag and hen groups are being discouraged with online marketing campaigns that are triggered when someone searches for a phrase such as ‘Amsterdam stag do’. Ironically, some stag do tour operators report that this is actually resulting in a substantial increase in interest.
One effective measure has been to ban cruise ships from Amsterdam city centre. Up to 100 were docking every year, a significant cause of mass tourism and pollution. Cruise tourism does little for local economies, as visitors rarely travel far from the port, and are only around for a few hours.
What is crucial is diverting visitors away from over saturated areas and into lesser known neighbourhoods, or out of the city all together. Tourists queuing to take selfies in front of the iconic I Amsterdam sign will find it has been relocated from in front of the Rijksmuseum to Schiphol Airport, while the fun ‘Marry an Amsterdammer for the day’ initiative aims to increase visitor engagement with local people, by staging a mock wedding with a local person then heading off into lesser visited areas of Amsterdam for a day long honeymoon.
Some of Amsterdam’s more anti-social tourist activities and attractions are being re-evaluated, but it seems a ‘soft-touch’ approach is currently being taken. Mooted bans of Red Light District tours and noisy ‘Beer Bikes’ have not happened. Stag and hen groups are being discouraged with online marketing campaigns that are triggered when someone searches for a phrase such as ‘Amsterdam stag do’. Ironically, some stag do tour operators report that this is actually resulting in a substantial increase in interest.
One effective measure has been to ban cruise ships from Amsterdam city centre. Up to 100 were docking every year, a significant cause of mass tourism and pollution. Cruise tourism does little for local economies, as visitors rarely travel far from the port, and are only around for a few hours.
What is crucial is diverting visitors away from over saturated areas and into lesser known neighbourhoods, or out of the city all together. Tourists queuing to take selfies in front of the iconic I Amsterdam sign will find it has been relocated from in front of the Rijksmuseum to Schiphol Airport, while the fun ‘Marry an Amsterdammer for the day’ initiative aims to increase visitor engagement with local people, by staging a mock wedding with a local person then heading off into lesser visited areas of Amsterdam for a day long honeymoon.
What you can do
You can be more engaged with the city’s residents, and enjoy a better experience of Amsterdam, simply by choosing to travel in a more thoughtful, responsible way. Instead of ticking off a checklist of must-see attractions, take the time to consider where you go, the time of year and how you travel.
When it comes to Amsterdam this means avoiding the peak tourist months, July and August, when the weather is usually at its best. Fortunately, the Dutch climate is mild throughout the year, making off season travel appealing as well as cheaper. Autumn is the best time to visit for quiet city streets without the risk of too much rain, as spring can also draw in the crowds hoping to see tulips in bloom.
When it comes to Amsterdam this means avoiding the peak tourist months, July and August, when the weather is usually at its best. Fortunately, the Dutch climate is mild throughout the year, making off season travel appealing as well as cheaper. Autumn is the best time to visit for quiet city streets without the risk of too much rain, as spring can also draw in the crowds hoping to see tulips in bloom.
Avoid shops and services dedicated solely to tourists and shop in locally owned stores that cater to residents. You’ll find better quality products and a quieter atmosphere away from the large tour groups. Amsterdam is littered with novelty Nutella bars and sweet shops selling oversized confectionery and cakes with neon icing, but the local specialities to look for are poffertjes (little Dutch pancakes served with butter and sugar), bitterballen (crispy meatballs) and oliebollen (deep fried sweet doughnuts).
The easiest way to avoid the tourist heavy areas of Amsterdam is with a responsible, organised tour. In a small group, led by a local guide, you can visit the parts of the city you’ll never find on a tourist map, discover sights you’ve never read about and eat in restaurants where Dutch is the main language you’ll overhear. Travelling in a smaller group allows you to visit little shops and eateries that can’t cater to the larger, louder crowds and don’t normally feel the benefit of tourism.
The easiest way to avoid the tourist heavy areas of Amsterdam is with a responsible, organised tour. In a small group, led by a local guide, you can visit the parts of the city you’ll never find on a tourist map, discover sights you’ve never read about and eat in restaurants where Dutch is the main language you’ll overhear. Travelling in a smaller group allows you to visit little shops and eateries that can’t cater to the larger, louder crowds and don’t normally feel the benefit of tourism.
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