Skip to main content

Travel tips: It will be more expensive than ever to visit Amsterdam next year — here’s why

Amsterdam has a plan to curb the tourist crowd - it just means a visit there will cost you more than before

The Amsterdam sign in Amsterdam.
Red Morley Hewitt / Unsplash

The reality of trying to see a sight like the Mona Lisa or the Eiffel Tower is not what you see on an influencer’s Instagram. It’s overcrowded, loud, and you’ll be stuck in line forever. From Barcelona to Venice, places are struggling with overtourism, but there is one particular city having a hard time reigning in the visitors, and it’s going to make you pay big time if you want to go there. Amsterdam is trying to control its visiting population with a hike in its tourism tax in hopes of evening out the numbers for the locals.

A view of a canal in Amsterdam.
VENUS MAJOR / Unsplash

The tax it takes to travel

A little travel tip — the tourism tax is already a part of travel no matter where you go, from hotel fares to airline fees. The tourism tax helps the place you visit in several ways, from keeping the buildings and other structures in good condition to protecting the gorgeous environment you want to see.

A few ways the tourism tax is collected

  • Departure tax is a thing.

Japan has an actual sayonara tax for everyone that leaves the country.

  • Arrival taxes make a little more sense.

Going to New Zealand will cost you around $37 to be allowed to enter.

  • Hotel taxes are the most common.

Most places around the world, including the United States, have an additional fee for hotel rooms and other accommodations for tourists.

A festival in the street in Amsterdam.

The city taxing its way to the top

Famous artists (hello, Van Gogh), stunning tulip fields, unique canals, and those gorgeous clogs are all things we love about the Netherlands. The capital of Amsterdam knows it is one of the top cities to visit in the European Union — and wants visitors to pay the price for it.

  • Amsterdam’s tourist tax was already the highest, sitting at 7% of the cost of the visitor’s hotel total.
  • In 2024, that will jump to an eye-popping 12.5%.
  • Day visitors coming off a cruise ship will see their tax increased from $8.50 to $11.60.

Whether you stay in Amsterdam on an incredible cruise ship or in a fabulous hotel, you’re paying the toll. This increase will continue to make it the highest tax in Europe for tourists.

Why Amsterdam is targeting tourists

The tax will do two things, both benefiting Amsterdam.

  • The higher fee will deter those who only want to check out the city for partying. Those who want to visit for the culture, food, and history won’t mind the increase.  (At least, that’s the theory.)
  • The money goes to maintaining and keeping the stunning city, well, stunning, so when the tourists leave, it’s still a beautiful place for the locals to live.

Amsterdam is small, land-wise, and when you add in the over 150 canals and more than 900,000 people living there, it feels cramped. So, when you dump the more than five million people who checked into a hotel in 2022, things are not going to get better.

You know when one of your favorite spots gets blown up on social media, and now everyone visits it, making it overcrowded and taking all the fun away? How awful is that? 

Overtourism is killing these cities where people live all of the time, not just during a specific holiday, and they want the burden of being overcrowded eased. Amsterdam is saying pay up or stay out, and we’ll have to see if it helps curb the crowds.

Editors' Recommendations

Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
Why popular travel destinations like Aspen will become more expensive in 2024
Travel is getting more expensive
Aspen

If you are planning your 2024 vacations, you may notice many popular travel destinations with a heftier price tag. As we move into the new year, there are a few vacation destinations that were once budget-friendly that will now require you to set aside a little more money. Several factors, such as inflation, infrastructure developments, and an influx of post-pandemic travel, will make many popular locations such as Aspen, Amsterdam, and Venice more expensive than ever in 2024. 

Why are certain travel destinations becoming more expensive in 2024?
There are several factors that contribute to certain destinations becoming more expensive in 2024. One significant factor is the recovery of the travel industry from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As demand for travel increases, popular destinations may experience a surge in visitors, leading to higher demand for accommodation, transportation, and attractions. This increased demand, coupled with the need for tourism businesses to recover from financial losses incurred during the pandemic, may result in higher prices for various services.

Read more
Cancun officials warn travelers about this growing danger — here’s what you need to know
Don't let your trip to paradise turn into a nightmare
Palapas at the beach in Cancun, Mexico.

 

Cancun, the crown jewel of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, has unfortunately witnessed a recent surge in drowning incidents, prompting local authorities and tourism officials to issue urgent pleas for caution among beachgoers. 

Read more
Travel tips: This is why your feet swell after flying (and how to prevent it)
It's annoying, but is it a problem?
Close-up of young man waiting for the plane at an airport

 

While traveling by plane is certainly convenient, it doesn't come without its own set of challenges. Economy seats on planes can leave you locked in place (literally) with little to no room to move around. Couple this with connecting or layover flights or long flights, and an entire travel day can go by without you moving your legs at all! If you've noticed your feet swelling after flying -- don't panic yet.

Read more