The number of nights spent by tourists in Amsterdam rose to 22.9 million last year, well above the city’s own limit of 20 million, according to local statistics office O&S.

The total is up 3% on 2023, and this year between 23 million and 24.6 million overnight stays are expected, O&S said. By 2027, the agency estimates, the number of nights could reach almost 28 million.

Nevertheless, city centre chief Sofyan Mbarki said he is “cautiously optimistic” that measures introduced by the council are starting to have an impact.

For example, the increase in the tourist tax to 12.5% has cut the number of overnight stays booked via online agencies from 2.4 million to 1.11 million, he said. Measures to reduce holiday letting are also having an impact, river cruise traffic is down 25%, and the number of sea cruise ships is being reduced from 190 to 100 a year.

“The figures remain high so measures are still needed,” he is quoted as saying by the Parool. “Not just to limit and spread tourism, but to retain what makes our city so special.”

The number of hotel beds, currently some 92,000, is set to increase by up to 6% in the coming years, but the council has imposed a blanket ban on new developments.

The total number of overnight visitors is still down 4% on the pre-coronavirus year of 2019, but they are spending longer in the city — from two nights on average in 2019 to 2.28 nights last year.

One reason for this is that short business trips have been replaced by online meetings, Mbarki said.

Legal action

Earlier this month, a group of inner-city residents said they plan to take legal action against the council for failing to meet its commitment to keep overnight stays below 20 million.

Mbarki said he would present a package of additional measures to reduce tourism before December 1.

The council is also looking to better manage the number of day trippers, who totalled 26.7 million in 2024. Some 66% come from elsewhere in the Netherlands to go shopping or visit a museum.