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.

Recommended Videos

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.

Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
Curaçao travel guide: Where to stay, what to eat, and more
Your guide to this dreamy destination
Curacao

I'll always have a soft spot for Amsterdam, but when I want a taste of Dutch charm with a Caribbean twist, Curaçao is my go-to destination. This Dutch colony feels like a little slice of The Netherlands, but with crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, and year-round sunshine. The best part? It's a much shorter journey from the U.S.

Curaçao's iconic Amsterdam-style waterfront buildings don't feel out of place at all. This island is where Dutch and Caribbean cultures blend together effortlessly. First visited by Europeans in 1499, it was initially settled by the Spanish before becoming a Dutch colony. The island's history runs deep, and it's even home to the oldest continuously inhabited Jewish community in the Western Hemisphere.

Read more
Medellín travel guide: Where to stay, what to do, and more
Get ready for a Colombian adventure
Medellin, Columbia

When I think of Colombia, images of the Amazon, fresh tropical fruits, and of course, coffee come to mind. Cities like Cartagena and Bogotá often steal the spotlight, but let's not forget about Medellín. Situated about 5,000 feet above sea level, Medellín, Columbia enjoys an enviable climate, always hovering between 63 and 83 degrees Fahrenheit, which has earned it the nickname "City of Eternal Spring." Once infamous for its association with drug cartels, Medellín is now shedding that reputation and has transformed into one of the best places to visit in Colombia.

With a mix of modern luxury hotels, lush flower farms, and buzzing cultural scene, this city is quickly becoming one of the most exciting destinations in South America. Here's everything you need to know in our ultimate Medellín travel guide.
Where to stay

Read more
This travel platform lets your emotions choose your next adventure
Let your feelings pick your next trip
Black Tomato

Not sure where to go on your next trip? Let your feelings decide. Luxury travel brand Black Tomato has just launched Pursuit of Feeling (PoF), a groundbreaking platform that redefines how we choose our travel destinations. Rather than booking based on budget, seasonality, or traditional must-see lists, PoF taps into travelers' emotions, helping them discover destinations that match how they want to feel.

With as many as 40% of Black Tomato’s clients unsure of where to go, PoF offers a fresh, AI-powered solution. By inputting emotions like “I want to feel untethered” or “I want to feel awe like never before,” travelers receive personalized trip recommendations designed to spark those exact sensations. This industry-first, vibe-driven approach brings Black Tomato’s original philosophy to life: “You may not know where you want to go, but you know how you want to feel.”
The new emotion-driven itineraries

Read more