Add Amsterdam to the list of cities such as Barcelona, Venice, San Francisco that are finding tourism changing the city's nature. And add it also to the smaller list of cities coming up with ways to confront the change.
In recent months, Amsterdamers, especially in the center of the city have complained that the city is becoming "Disneyfied" with travelers, and point especially at an influx of Britons looking to have a raucous weekend.
But the big rub is accommodating 5.2 million tourists in a city of 800,000, and the biggest complaints are not rowdiness, but apartments coming off the housing market and becoming vacation rentals. Many locals blame the most prominent agency: Airbnb.
Amsterdam and Airbnb have now reached an agreement that they hope will mitigate the problem, while still keeping the city as a top tourist destination. Airbnb will now place limits on its site that prevent hosts in the city from renting for more than 60 days per year, and has created a new online tool to allow anyone to complain about an issue with an Airbnb rental, including noise. The city is also creating a 24-hour phone hotline to take complaints.
A city spokesman said “The pioneering collaboration between Airbnb and Amsterdam is unique to the city. Amsterdam will now seek similar agreements with other accommodation platforms.” And other cities will be watching to see how well this works.
Photo: Leidseplein, Amsterdam at night (Massimo Catarinella/Wikimedia)
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