For years, Amsterdam has promised to cap tourism at under 20 million overnight stays per year. However, in an ongoing lawsuit, the municipality now argues that this figure is merely an ‘aspiration’ rather than an enforceable standard.
This article is written by Het Parool.
Published on 23 februari 2026
This article has been translated from Dutch with the assistance of AI. It has been reviewed by our editorial team. However, this translation may contain inaccuracies. Read all our reporting in English or share your thoughts: english@parool.nl.
In 2021, the city council pledged to do everything in its power to keep tourism below the 20-million mark. While that limit was only met during the pandemic years, the city was flooded with visitors once again as soon as restrictions lifted. That upward trend appears to be irreversible.
Consequently, a group of residents and entrepreneurs took the matter to civil court last year. Supported by the Amsterdam heeft een keuze (Amsterdam Has A Choice) foundation and financial backing from entrepreneur Alexander Klöpping, the group aims to legally compel the city to reduce the number of overnight stays.
In a written statement of defence, the municipality has now adopted a principled stance: the Tourism in Balance ordinance ‘does not function externally’ and contains ‘no enforceable (performance) standard,’ the city wrote. According to the municipality, the regulation only creates obligations within the city government itself, and residents or entrepreneurs cannot derive any legal rights from it.
With this argument, the municipality is attempting to have the case dismissed in one fell swoop. If this position holds, the court would be unable to force Amsterdam to intervene, even if tourist numbers continue to climb. The city maintains that the 20-million limit is a policy objective, not a legally binding norm.
Legal value of a promise
Amsterdam heeft een keuze is demanding that the number of overnight stays not only falls below 20 million by 2028 at the latest, but remains below that threshold thereafter. Additionally, the foundation wants the municipality to provide transparency regarding which measures affect tourist numbers and what results those measures achieve.
The court is therefore faced with two questions: is Amsterdam doing enough to combat overtourism, and what is the legal value of a political agreement? Is the ceiling a hard limit that residents can actually rely upon, or is it merely a policy with no enforceable consequences?
Hospitality sector backs the city
Two business organisations have since requested to join the proceedings on the side of the municipality. The Amsterdam branch of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (Royal Dutch Hospitality Association) argues that a sharp decline in tourist numbers could lead to an immediate ‘significant drop in revenue,’ placing the jobs of thousands of employees at serious risk.
The Bond van Cannabis Detaillisten (Association of Cannabis Retailers) also wishes to intervene. In its summons, the foundation mentions coffee shops and the ‘residents-only’ criterion as potential measures against overtourism. According to the association, such a measure could directly impact the sector and lead to a shift toward street trade, putting extra pressure on law enforcement and public order.
The case is currently before the civil court in Amsterdam. The parties are first exchanging their legal positions, and the court will decide on procedural matters, such as whether other organisations may join the suit. Only then will the court proceed to the merits of the case; a date for that hearing has not yet been set.
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