Amsterdam, which has put considerable effort in the last year on tweaking regulations for Airbnb and other short term rental agencies is now tackling more traditional bed-and-breakfast operations.
Up to now, no license has been necessary to offer bed-and-breakfast services in one's home, and since the rules limiting the spread of Airbnb have been in effect, officials noted a sharp increase in the number of B&Bs.
Under the new rules, a license will be required, starting in 2020, and there is no guarantee that those already in operation will be licensed if they are in areas considered to be saturated. ‘This is needed to prevent lots of homes being used as hotels,’ according to city officials. ‘Homes are first and foremost meant to be lived in.’
A spokesman for the Amsterdam B&B owners' association attacked the idea, saying that B&Bs were not a real problem in overtourism; He pointed out that 50% of Amsterdam visitors are day trippers, and that 90% of those who do stay overnight use a hotel—and Amsterdam presently has over 8,000 more hotel rooms under construction.
In other tourism-related actions, the Council has voted to remove the giant I Amsterdam sign in Museumplein that has been the city's promotion symbol for a number of years. Councillors say the slogan has become a symbol for mass tourism and individualism in a city which stands for solidarity and diversity. The sign may pop up elsewhere in the city, or possibly go to the town of Appingedam, which has asked for them.
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