Amsterdam in the fight against debauchery and drunkenness: Highest tourist tax starting next year

Starting in 2024, visitors to Amsterdam will be charged the highest tourist tax in Europe in an effort to reduce disorder in the city and the consequences of mass tourism.

The price increase will amount to up to 12.5 percent, which means that with an average night's stay of 175 euros per person, the tourist tax will rise from 15.25 to 21.80 euros per night.

“For comparison, tourist taxes in Barcelona average around 2.25 euros per person per day, while in Paris you can generally expect to pay about 4 euros per person per night, reports the Lonely Planet website.

The tourist tax is increasing so that „visitors“ make a greater contribution to the city, and the measure will also contribute to the fight against disorder and mass tourism, city authorities announced.

Amsterdam, home to a million people, has been struggling in recent years to cope with 20 million visitors a year, many of whom spent only a single day in the city.

“To maintain the quality of life in Amsterdam, the city is working to prevent the type of tourism that causes discomfort to both residents and tourists, and has set a maximum number of visitors, the authorities announced.

Amsterdam has long been a magnet for hedonists most often drawn by cannabis coffee shops and the red-light district, and the city has also grown tired of increasingly frequent bouts of heavy drinking and riots.

Thus, for example, British tourists were told this year to organize their often debauched stag parties somewhere else.

SOURCE: N1 PHOTO: SCREENSHOT