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Busy Amsterdam and quiet Weesp face same high tourist tax? "We want a tailored approach"

Busy Amsterdam and quiet Weesp face same high tourist tax? "We want a tailored approach"

Amsterdam plans to raise its tourist tax to 20 percent by 2031, a policy that currently also impacts the quieter town of Weesp. Local business owners are requesting a tailored approach, arguing that the rural area should not be subject to the same high rates as the busy city center.

Amsterdam is set to increase its tourist tax significantly over the coming years, moving from 12.5 percent to 20 percent by 2031. This change makes the city home to the highest tourist tax in the world. However, this policy also automatically applies to the town of Weesp, which became part of the municipality of Amsterdam in 2022. Residents and local business owners, such as dairy farmer Albert Hooijer who operates a guest accommodation on his farm, argue that this uniform rate is unfair because Weesp lacks the dense tourism problems found in the city center.

During a recent council committee meeting, local stakeholders pushed for a more tailored approach to taxation for rural areas. While the city council showed support for reconsidering the structure, Alderman Melanie van der Horst noted that past legal assessments have made it difficult to justify exemptions. Despite these previous challenges, she has committed to reviewing the possibility of specific exceptions for farms one final time to address concerns about equity.

PoliticsEconomyBusinessLifestyleAmsterdamNetherlands
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Based on reporting by rss. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.

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