Amsterdam residents took to the streets this past Saturday in a demonstration against the unrelenting influx of tourists that they claim is making the city "unliveable”. The protest was staged outside the newly constructed Diamond Hotel, which has become a controversial symbol of the city's tourism situation.
The new city center hotel on the Leidseplein was built on the site of the former Heineken Hoek, a well-known meeting spot and landmark. According to The Times, its design has been criticized by locals as being an eyesore and its look has been compared to a motorway lavatory. Then, there’s the additional tourist traffic it stands to attract.
Dingeman Coumou, organizer of the “Het is Genoeg” (“That’s Enough”) campaign, described the edifice as “another one of those horrible hotels, which attract even more tourists and look awful.” He disclosed, “The Diamond has become a symbolic place for us.
Amsterdam, renowned for its historic canals, vibrant culture, and historic art and architecture, has long grappled with the challenge of balancing its popularity with the quality of life for locals.
According to The Independent, back in April, the Dutch capital submitted a plan to control the way tourists enter and lodge in the city by restricting the number of overnight guests to 20 million tourists annually. However, in 2023, Amsterdam saw roughly 22 million overnight visitors, surpassing the proposed limit by a significant margin.
"The tourism that is flooding our city has now become disruptive," Coumou said. “It ensures that our children can no longer live in the city because of the high real estate prices, it creates a monoculture but, above all, the center of Amsterdam is becoming unliveable because of the crowds.”
The city’s historic old town area and red-light district, popular for its legalized brothels, have become particularly targeted areas for reforms. Young men, and Britons in particular, are notorious for getting drunk or high on marijuana sold in local cannabis cafés, crowding the area and causing a ruckus that disturbs residents.
“You have to fight your way through the crowds to get home,” said Ed Huijg, a protestor and one of the locals who lives in the Wallen red-light district.
Frits Huffnagel, a former city councilor and the mind behind the famous “I Amsterdam” slogan, which used to be displayed on the national Rijksmuseum until 2018, opined, ““You shouldn’t say: let everyone come and piss and puke in my city. You have to take action against those people.”
In response to the growing discontent, city officials have implemented measures aimed at curbing overtourism. These include raising tourist taxes, launching the "Stay Away" campaign and introducing an "Amsterdam Rules" quiz designed to deter rowdy tourists. Earlier this year, Amsterdam also imposed limits on the number of river cruises allowed in its waterways and placed a ban on the construction of new hotels.
However, despite Amsterdam officials’ commitment to reducing overtourism and cleaning up the streets, with an extra €12 million spent on these efforts in 2024, visitor numbers continue to increase, further provoking the ire of locals.
The frustration echoes similar sentiments in other European cities like Barcelona and Venice, where locals have staged their own protests against overtourism. Many cities are now pivoting towards attracting fewer but higher-spending tourists who stay for longer periods.
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