(TAN): Visitors to Amsterdam will now need to shell out more in terms of tourist tax after the Dutch capital raised the tax amount in order to combat overtourism, reports said.
Tourists will now need to pay EUR 3 (USD 3.35 approximately) per person, per night at hotels and short-term rentals on top of the current 7% tax charged by the city, as per reports.
“From 1 January 2020 the City of Amsterdam will ask for a larger contribution of visitors staying the night in hotels or camping sites,” the Amsterdam website was quoted by Express as saying.
[ALSO READ: Australia’s wildfires could damage its tourism industry]
The website also said that while tourists will be charged EUR 3 for hotel rooms per person per while, they will have to pay EUR 1 per person per night for campsites, as per reports.
“Tourist tax for holiday rentals, bed & breakfasts and short-stay accommodation will be 10% of the turnover, excluding VAT and tourist tax. Those staying in campsites will pay EUR 1 (85p) per person, per night. In addition, companies operating sea and river cruises will pay a tourist tax of EUR 8 (£6.81) per passenger,” the website reportedly added.
The additional tax has reportedly been imposed from January 1 to curb the massive influx of holidaymakers. The city hosted 19 million tourists in 2018, while 29 million people are expected to visit Amsterdam in 2025, according to reports.
[ALSO READ: IHCL announces the opening of Taj Fateh Prakash Palace in Udaipur, India]
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema reportedly said the growth in numbers could affect the “essence” of the city.
“By the essence of the city, I don’t mean the self-assurance, the humour, or the typical Amsterdam torrents of abuse… like when you’re cycling on the pavement and – totally by accident, of course – you knock someone flying. And neither do I mean the constant roadworks, traffic jams…the irritations about parking… or the endless discussions we have about such momentous issues as the cycle tunnel under the Rijksmuseum…The essence of Amsterdam is the promise of freedom,” she was quoted by Express as saying.
The tax upgrade will reportedly make Amsterdam, one of the most popular tourist destinations, one of Europe’s highest taxing cities.
