Barcelona isn't alone in its effort to stem the tourist tide.
According to The Sun, Amsterdam is looking to raise tourist taxes in hopes of turning off rowdy budget travelers while enticing more lucrative visitors.
Local officials in the Dutch capital are considering increasing taxes on tourists by as much as $12 (10) per night. The additional cost would also include a percentage of guests' final hotel bill.
Meanwhile, tourists visiting Amsterdam next year are on the hook to pay a six percent tax on their hotel room rate, which is up from five percent this year.
The Guardian reports the local council believes raising the tax would deter bachelor parties and other budget-conscious travelers aiming to revel in the city's iconic Red Light District. Local government also faces increased pressure from residents who say they are being forced out of Amsterdam's city center as a result of an influx of visitors.
Amsterdam has seen an increase in five million annual visitors during the last five years, hosting 17 million visitors in 2016.
"We need more people who actually spend money in the city. We would prefer people who stay a couple of nights, visit museums, have lavish meals at restaurants, to people who pop over for a weekend eating falafel while sauntering around the red-light district," city councilor Udo Kock told Dutch newspaper Het Parool via The Guardian.
"The number of visitors will grow from 17 million to 23 million in the coming years and that means more cleaning and a greater police presence in the streets. And I want Amsterdammers to profit from the success of the city."
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Hotel Aalders manager Rick Aalders believes the push for higher taxes is all about making money.
"The taxes are already high for tourists. Are people really going to stop coming because of a rise in taxes? I don't think so. We have growth in numbers of seven percent to eight percent every month," he told The Guardian.
In addition to raising tourist taxes, local officials have sought to place bans on new hotel development and launch campaigns encouraging visitors to explore less touristy parts of the city in their ongoing effort to preserve Amsterdam and what makes it so appealing to so many.
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