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Tens of thousands of people watched dozens of colorfully decorated boats cruise the Dutch capital's historic canals on Saturday, August 5, 2023, in the most popular event of the six-day Pride Amsterdam festival that brings tens of thousands of visitors to the city.
Peter DeJong/AP
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Peter DeJong/AP
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Tens of thousands of people watched dozens of colorfully decorated boats cruise the Dutch capital's historic canals on Saturday, August 5, 2023, in the most popular event of the six-day Pride Amsterdam festival that brings tens of thousands of visitors to the city.
Peter DeJong/AP
Amsterdam's regional government said Wednesday it is cracking down on overtourism in the area, including banning new hotels.
New hotels can only be built if other hotels close, and the city is urging developers to choose sites outside of downtown.
If we build a new hotel instead of an old one, it must be more modern and sustainable. The 26 hotels that already have permits will not be affected by the ban, the city said.
![They say that there are too many tourists in Amsterdam.](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2018/07/30/gettyimages-6725934561_sq-cde98f06b051d5e8e7c34ae4867f30f0cd939927-s100.jpg)
The move was prompted by Amsterdam's “balanced tourism” policy, created in 2021 after a public initiative by 30,000 residents demanding more control over the tourism industry.
The goal is to limit tourist hotel stays to 20 million per year under ‘balanced tourism’. In 2023, tourists spent an estimated 20.7 million nights in Amsterdam, excluding vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts and cruises. This means “local governments have an obligation to take action,” the city said.
Amsterdam is also attempting to curb other tourist behavior, including banning cannabis smoking in certain areas of the city, closing some clubs and bars early, placing new restrictions on canal cruises and converting some hotels into homes or offices. .