Yeah Turisteaspay. As the international flow of travelers recover (or even exceeds) early levels and great destinations such as Venice, Amsterdam either Florencethey face unbalanced tourism, an idea begins to spread through the sector: if you want to know large monuments, mountains or historical helmets, you will not arrive with a plane, you pay a hotel and go to the place in person. Once there you must buy a ‘ticket’. As in a museum.
Venice has been A pioneer of that philosophy, which now Go with interest Holland.
What happened? That if you travel to the Netherlands it is likely that in not much time you must pay to know one of its great icons: Zaanse Schansa kind of outdoor museum of Zaanstad, Em Netherlands northern, famous for its wind mills. For years tourists come in mass (there are buses that are responsible for transporting them) to visit their historical museums, walk along their paths, enjoy their peculiar architecture and especially get out selfies.
How many people do you go? Yes. Zaanstad authorities They assure That Zaanse Schans is one of the “most popular day excursions” from the Netherlands, something to which his heritage helps and how close to Amsterdam. Only the Ephting park and Rijksmuseum. After the fall of tourists during the pandemic, the authorities estimate that in 2024 the Zaense Schans attracted some 2.6 million of visitors. And there are those who warns It will soon pass the three million.
What do you want to do? What the Zaanstad authorities raise is to collect an entry to tourists who want to visit Zaense Schans. His plan announced in detail in spring, in A statement in which some keys slide, such as the rate that the City Council has in mind is € 17.5, a “realistic” sum in your opinion. The idea is to pay only visitors. The neighbors of Zaanstad and WORMERLAND and certain “specific groups” may continue accessing free.
Charging for access requires more than approving a rate, so Zaanstad authorities are also considering closing certain roads and trails to the public. “The Zaense Schans will no longer be freely accessible as is now”, Confirm The City Council. The idea is that you begin to demand tickets in the area already in the 2026 tourist season, although AFP needed Recently, the authorities have opened the door to a certain delay. In his release Spring, the City Council talked about the measure was still in the “preliminary” phase.
And all this … why? For the massification. The authorities They assure that Zaanse Schans has become “a national symbol of excessive tourism” and warn of their effects. “The heritage and quality of life of the neighbors are at risk of being affected by mass tourism,” warns the session before remembering that the massive flow of visitors “has important consequences for security and habitability” and interferes with the maintenance of its architecture.
It is nothing new. The region already raised the same dilemma in 2020, but pandemic and falling tourism during the following years prevented them from going further. “However, since 2022 the bustle has returned to its usual level. In 2024 the Zaanse Schans attracted 2.6 million visitors. That also means that all the problems caused by excessive tourism have returned,” emphasize The City Council, which recalls that the Dutch Tourism Office provides that foreign tourism in the region will grow 37% over the next few years.
And what was collected? AFP Slide that the new rate would have a double effect: it would reduce the volume of visitors and especially raise millions of euros that the authorities could use for the maintenance of historical buildings. In that same idea insists the Consistory, which emphasizes that the income generated by the inputs “are necessary” to pay for the preservation of its heritage, in addition to guaranteeing “the security and quality of life” in the area.
“The Zaense Schans needs urgent interventions for the preservation of all its heritage, greater security and improvements in public spaces. Nothing is not an option. Without sufficient resources, it will be lost in the short term, between five and seven years,” argues. “The volume of tourists also influences heritage: the more it is used, the more management.” Not everyone sees it the same. In fact, in the town there are who warns that the new tax will damage tourism.
Why is it important? Because, beyond what it may be for Zaanse Schans or future visitors who want to enjoy their wind mills, Zaanstad’s decision connects with a much greater trend: to collect tourists who want to enjoy iconic destinations. Venice already It demands an entry of access and similar measures have been adopted (or at least discussed) in Japan to Get to Fuji and Rome to approach the Fontana di Trevi. The theme is also on the table in New Zealand for visit Its beaches and mountains.
Even in Italy, farmers have begun to install lathes in the field to demand tourists to Pay a ‘toll’ If you want to cross your fields. It is not necessary to leave the country to find similar measures. Beyond the tourist rate, which It continues to expand by several regions From the country, there has also been talk of the collection for visiting certain iconic destinations. In 2024 the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife He raised An ecotasa to enjoy natural spaces.
Images | Kismihok (Flickr) and Karl Paul Baldacchino (UNSPLASH)
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