Amsterdam’s hyper-success at promoting itself as a tourism destination has ground to a halt; the city has, among other things, removed the huge ‘I amsterdam” logo from Museumplein, lent its marketing power to other parts of the Netherlands, and has now moved to make its daily tourism tax the highest in Europe.
Starting in January, there will be a €3 per person per night surcharge on the 7% tax on the room rate; Airbnb and similar rentals will be subject to a 10% per night charge. While different cities calculate tourism charges in different ways, from flat fees to percent charges to charges based on how many stars a hotel has earned, the Amsterdam rates are high by any standard. For example, a €300 a night hotel would come with a €7 charge in Rome, but €24 in Amsterdam.
A spokesperson for the Amsterdam’s deputy mayor told CNN that “the fact is that numbers are growing—you can’t build a fence around the city and we don’t want that either. “Increasing the tax isn’t to affect the number of visitors, but it’s the principle. It costs a lot to keep our city clean and safe, and our infrastructure—like bridges—in a good state.”
Uh-huh.
