In a move to combat overtourism, Amsterdam has put a clamp down on the construction of new hotels.

Under the new rules, a new hotel is not permitted to be built unless another closes, with the new hotel required to be more modern or more sustainable than the one that closed. 

Also, Amsterdam is urging hotel developers to consider locations outside the city center.

The 26 projects already in the city’s hotel development pipeline are exempt from the new restriction. 

Amsterdam’s city hall announced the edict earlier this week, citing the need to “make and keep the city livable for residents and visitors.”

The hotel clampdown coincides with other efforts to manage tourism. In 2021, the city unveiled plans to cap tourist hotel nights at 20 million per year. The city reported that the number of hotel nights in Amsterdam totaled approximately 20.7 million last year, excluding vacation rentals and bed-and-breakfasts.

In 2019, Amsterdam introduced a tourist tax on cruise passengers. Then last year, the Amsterdam City Council voted to close its cruise terminal. The terminal remains open but there may be efforts to establish a facility outside the city center.