Amsterdam Turns to Luxury to Allay Overtourism Concerns
Photo Credit: Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam. The hotel is part of Amsterdam's luxury initiative to attract high-end travelers as a measure to counter overtourism. Accor
Skift Take
When your destination is considered the ultimate hotbed of overtourism, what do you do to reduce crowding? For Amsterdam, the answer lies in luxury.
When your city is a poster child for overtourism, do you reduce your marketing efforts, or do you try to attract a different type of traveler? For Amsterdam, the answer is to seek out high-end visitors, those who tend to take in the city’s more esoteric attractions while spending more money and staying longer.
Back in 2013, when the term overtourism was beginning to rear its ugly head, the city of Amsterdam decided to consolidate its various marketing agencies under one umbrella. Amsterdam & Partners thus became the official marketing and branding organization for the city and surroundings.
"It was established with the goal of creating a better reputation for the city," Nico Mulder, marketing strategist for the organization, said.
The public-private partnership receives one-third of its budget from the city and the rest from its 1,000-plus partners. The organization not only serves to promote leisure and m
