Amsterdam is renowned for its picturesque canals, vibrant cycling culture, world-class museums, and stunning architecture. However, it’s also known for having one of the most expensive tourist taxes in Europe. This tax is the extra fee that visitors have to pay when they stay in the city. Amsterdam has decided to keep this tax high, as it faces the challenges of overtourism, meaning there are too many tourists, which can strain the city’s resources and infrastructure. So, despite its attractions, Amsterdam is maintaining its high tourist tax to manage the impact of its popularity among travelers.
Amsterdam’s city authorities are raising the tourist tax for visitors, starting next year. For travelers, this means that if you visit Amsterdam starting next year, the extra tax you pay for staying in a hotel will go up to 12.5% of the room cost. To understand this better, if your room costs 175 euros, this change will increase the nightly cost by 21.80 euros instead of the current 15.25 euros.
Currently when you stay in Amsterdam, you pay a 7% tax on the room, along with an extra three euros per night. If this new plan is approved, they will remove the flat rate of three euros per night. This information comes from a local TV station in Amsterdam called AT5.
Amsterdam is set to increase its tourist tax by 65 million euros annually starting in 2027 to handle the high number of tourists, particularly those on cruise ships. The additional funds will be used to address issues like maintaining cleanliness and addressing problems in different neighborhoods. Amsterdam has been working on managing the issue of overcrowding since 2017, with plans to prevent new souvenir stores from opening. The city has previously increased rates for hotels, campgrounds, and Airbnb rentals to 7 percent and an additional one euro per night in 2020. The goal is to create effective solutions to manage the growing number of tourists.
Paris is considering a financial memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Transport to triple its tourist tax to finance transportation improvements in the region, a move that comes as major infrastructure projects prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.