The coalition agreement for the new Municipal government in Amsterdam has set out plans to‘fight overtourism’. The basic weapon to be employed is raising the tourist tax, already the highest in the world, to dizzying new heights. The tax on tourist accommodation will be increased from the current 12.5% of the room rate to 16% in 2027, and then by a further 1% every year until it reaches 20%, ‘so that visitors contribute more to the city’. Other measures to try and curtail the growth of...

Barcelona is a city facing enormous tourism pressure. This has encouraged a series of measures to control tourism, including restricting Airbnb (due to be banned completely by 2028), increasing the tourism tax and banning pub crawls. In common with cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona is trying to adopt a placemaking approach to tourism, rather than place marketing. Tourism policy is orientating towards improving the quality of life for residents, rather than attracting more and more tourists....

As we reported in previous posts, festivals and events are under increasing pressure from rising costs, lack of volunteers, pressures on space and increased regulation. A recent report by the Dutch news service NOS has outlined the problems for community events across the country. A major issue is the increased bureaucracy attached to even the smallest events. There are a growing number of rules related to event permits, safety and first aid, training and traffic management. Village fun under...