Secondly, the tolerance among locals towards drugs and the sex-industry is fading. That’s because in the city centre reported nuisances such as littering or noise are much higher than in any other part of the city. In addition to that, crime became more severe and policies to mitigate the problems led to a waterbed effect. An alarming report from Tops and Tromp in 2019 laid bare what the impact is of decades of laissez-faire policies. Amsterdam became seen as the drug capital of Europe and extensive social problems exist, pleading among others to stop selling drugs to tourists. The wish for tourists that add value is increasing.

The third key issue are community initiatives that strive for a sustainable and inclusive city by reinventing tourism practices. These initiatives are also examples that make use of the platform economy and as a political representation of groups, in a specific way. Rather than just looking at what the problems are, these initiatives are actively and constructively co-shaping or even co-designing alternative pathways to deal with the changing face of Amsterdam. New ways of city making have emerged. And they have proven to be effective in managing the new urban dynamics.

Amsterdam during Covid-19

When Covid-19 hit the world, Amsterdam turned quiet. The amount of overnight stays dropped dramatically, following different lockdowns. I the end of January 2022, Amsterdam was just reopening after its fifth lockdown. Residents also became more aware of overcrowding thanks to Covid-19. It unvealed an Amsterdam that is more livable for its residents. Intriguingly in the first year of the pandemic, the discourse, e.g. in the media, was less oriented towards economy and loss of jobs, and more towards “we don’t want a back-to-normal”. It initiated several petitions to signal the local government that enough is enough, paving the way for debates and policy changes.

Tourism represents about 10 percent of Amsterdam’s economy, so this implies that many residents, entrepreneurs and employees were affected severely. Varying from losing their job, losing investors or having zero guests in their B&B. During the first lock down, the number of visitors at Schiphol Airport dropped by 90 percent. Hotels in Amsterdam welcomed only 3 million guests in 2020. Due to governmental aid, relatively speaking, most entrepreneurs could survive, but the question is: for how long? Strikingly enough, between lockdowns, it turned out to be very difficult to find suitable employees for leisure and tourism.

Reinventing tourism

A new way of city making can also be found within the realm of tourism and we relate this to the “Amsterdam Approach”. Its invention in 2016 helped Amsterdam to win the European Capital of Innovation Award. It is a holistic and multi-stakeholder (including policy makers) approach in which the Dutch tradition of consensus decision-making manifests. Covid-19 seems to be a catalyst of change, as most current tourism plans and initiatives already existed in 2019. We observed several grassroot initiatives and a mix with more established organizations that attempt to change the face of tourism. The aim is to transcend the dualism of tourism: economy vs. liveability. Their coping mechanism is to experiment with innovative, sustainable and inclusive forms of tourism. This process seems to unfold quite organically, with no leading actor in the driver’s seat.

Time will tell whether Amsterdam is truly able to reinvent itself and become more resilient in a regenerative way. For now, many signs are – literally – on green when looking at the changing tourism offer, policies, offer and expressed intentions. The question is: Are urban tourists searching for the same “new” Amsterdam?