Dutch tourism bosses will try to limit the number of foreign visitors as the land of tulips and windmills complains of overcrowding. Arguing that “more is not always better”, the Netherlands will stop promoting tourism and switch its strategy to destination management.
Some 18 million people visited the Netherlands in 2017—more than the country's population—and the number is set to grow to 29 million by 2030. Overcrowding in tourist hot spots, especially in Amsterdam, could reduce the quality of life for local residents and turn them against foreign visitors, officials have warned.
Among the measures under consideration is a tourist tax similar to that in some destinations in Spain and Italy. In its 2018 forecast the tourist board said German, Belgian and British visitors would make up the largest group of visitors. American, French and Italian tourists were the next three largest groups. In recent years more than a third of incoming tourists stayed in the hot spot of Amsterdam, long popular for its nightlife, museums and liberal drugs laws.
The local municipality is also seeking to halt the growth of hotels, souvenir shops, ticket sales outlets and cheese shops. Schiphol airport’s capacity is to be capped and passenger vessels are to be moved out of the city’s center.
Tourism earns the Dutch economy 82 billion euros and in 2018 accounted for about 761,000 jobs—one in 13 jobs in the Netherlands—but there is also concern over the environmental cost.
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