Amsterdam has the biggest mass tourism problem in Europe, new report discovers
The issue of mass tourism across major European cities has been a talking point for many years with locals increasingly feeling priced out of city centres due to holidaymakers, and the problem only looks like it will worsen.
Notably, this summer has been filled with protests across the continent as disgruntled residents in cities, such as Barcelona, let their feelings known about the millions of tourists visiting their hometown. Although tourism is key to the economies of these regions with visitors spending money at local establishments and creating jobs, protestors believe a balance needs to be found.
Now, The Economist has explored the subject in a new report, discovering Amsterdam is the city with the worst overtourism issue with 10.1 visitors to the city each year for every permanent resident. Paris is in second place with 8.0, Milan third with 6.3 and at 5.9, Barcelona is fourth.
While this is an issue in terms of housing, tourists do spend a significant portion of money, and the report established that holidaymaker spending in Amsterdam equates to $11,000 per local.
In contrast, this figure is only $2,600 per resident in Milan, demonstrating the Dutch capital’s reliance on tourists compared with other European metropolises.
The downside to mass tourism
The vast number of tourists entering Amsterdam is an issue that the Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, is attempting to address. Despite the economic benefits they offer the region, Halsema understands its unsustainable in the longterm and could also have damaging effects on Amsterdam’s reputation.
She explained to Bloomberg in 2022: “We love tourists in our city. They are an important part of our local economy also. Especially when tourists come for the beauty of our city, for our museums or for our night culture. But we do have a problem with some of the tourists. It’s not with tourism but with the behavior of minority of the tourists.”
Halsema elaborated: “The number of tourists is another issue. Florence welcomes 14 million tourists per year, and they say that’s a little bit too much. Barcelona welcomes 20 million tourists per year, and they say that’s a little bit too much. Amsterdam welcomes 22 million tourists per year, and that’s a little bit too much.”
The Dutch politician also believes the growth of tourism is a key reason why the city has become too expensive for ordinary people to live, claiming, “It’s very difficult to find a house in Amsterdam except for the highest incomes, so our middle class — teachers, police officers, people working in health care — are leaving the city.”
Therefore, if the locals, who are responsible for creating the culture that has caused Amsterdam to become a tourism hub, leave the city then this could have damaging effects that stretch way beyond the number of annual visitors to the Dutch capital.
Furthermore, in 2023, Amsterdam launched a digital discouragement campaign aimed at British men between the ages of 18 and 35. The initiative was part of the Dutch city’s efforts to improve its international reputation and deter those who seek to cause trouble on holiday. The video depicts intoxicated young men staggering around the streets, being handcuffed by police and having their mugshots taken.
