What can the Netherlands Learn from the Danes? (Solutions to Overtourism and More)

The Netherlands is one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations, offering picturesque canals, world-renowned windmills, and stunning tulip fields. But this popularity comes at a price: overtourism. Streets swarming with tourists, rising housing prices, and stretched infrastructure are just a few of the downsides its people face. But could the Netherlands learn from Denmark’s overtourism solutions? From innovative policies to urban planning focused on livability, Denmark has successfully addressed the challenge of sustainable tourism while maintaining a high quality of life for its citizens. Here’s what the Netherlands can learn from its North Sea neighbor:

Lesson 1: Spreading Tourists Beyond the Hotspots

One of Denmark’s most successful strategies has been to spread tourists beyond Copenhagen. The capital still retains its huge appeal, but Denmark actively recommends lesser-known destinations such as Aarhus, Odense, and the coastal towns of Skagen and Bornholm. The “Discover Denmark” campaign encouraged visitors to explore other regions rather than focusing solely on Copenhagen, which helps solve overcrowding while simultaneously boosting smaller communities.

What the Netherlands Can Learn:

Amsterdam attracts the lion’s share of tourists, trailing cities like Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Maastricht. The Netherlands might consider the following Danish ideas: starting promotional campaigns around ‘secondary cities,’ improving transportation links to allow day trips (e.g., faster trains from Groningen to Leeuwarden), and using influencers to promote lesser-known Dutch destinations to spread the load.

Lesson 2: Limitations on Short-Term Rentals

To address the issue of housing shortages, the Danish capital has implemented strict regulations on the use of Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms. Property owners must now register with the municipality and pay applicable taxes. In some parts of the city, they may only rent their apartments for a limited number of days a year, keeping them available for locals year-round.

What the Netherlands Can Learn:

Amsterdam continues to try to restrict short-term rentals, but enforcement has been spotty. The Dutch could enforce harsher penalties for illegal rental activities, set maximum numbers of days for rental, which vary from property to property (as in Copenhagen), implement a permit system, and ensure that the system is followed to give locals a better shot in the housing market.

Lesson 3: Prioritizing Liability For Residents

Denmark’s focus on bringing in a different caliber of tourists – those who stay longer, spend more, and are not party tourists, has paid off. By limiting party boats and ‘beer bikes,’ Denmark has demonstrated its commitment to the long-term well-being of its residents over short-term thrills for tourists. Today, it promotes sustainable, and cultural activities.

What the Netherlands Can Learn:

The municipality has already begun to crack down on mass tourism in the red-light district and has made moves to restrict Airbnb stays. However, more could be done, such as implementing higher tourist taxes for all stays, regardless of their duration. To help the Netherlands attract the ‘sort’ of tourist it wants, highlight Dutch museums, art galleries, and other cultural experiences to encourage longer stay and ‘better’ tourism. Expand car-free zones in cities like Amsterdam and improve bike parking at major train stations to promote green travel.

Lesson 4. Green Tourism and Sustainability Initiatives

Denmark serves as a model for sustainable tourism. Hotels have eco-certifications and it has attractions such as CopenHil – a waste-to-energy plant with a ski slope attached.

What the Netherlands Can Learn:

The Netherlands can further advance its green ambitions. What about canal tours using a solar-powered boat? Or incentivising hotels to adopt stricter sustainability standards? It’s time to make sustainability a talking point.

Lesson 5: Investing in Cycling Infrastructure (Better Than the Dutch?)

It’s no secret the Dutch are the poster child of cycling. Denmark, however, takes it a step further. Their ‘bike highways’ allow for easy and rapid connection between cities and ‘the burbs,’ fostering a cycling culture to rival even that of the Netherlands. More than 60% of Copenhageners cycle to work thanks to an array of wide lanes, better planned routes and bike bridges.

What the Netherlands Can Learn

To encourage people to cycle in all tourist spots across the country, it could examine its bike highways between cities and improve bike parking space availability.

Lesson 6: Using Tech to Crowd Manage

The city of Copenhagen utilizes smart city technology to monitor and understand tourist foot traffic. Tracking’ people traffic,’ specially designed sensors allow for the real-time adjustment of crowds through crowd control and redirection.

What the Netherlands Can Learn:

Amsterdam could put in place measures similar to those used to combat over-business in the Red Light District or the Jordaan, and guide visitors to less busy areas. It could also implement ‘dynamic pricing’ for attractions based on their demand.

Lesson 7: Get Tourists to Participate

The Danes created ‘CopenPay,’ a scheme that aims to inspire and motivate travelers by rewarding visitors who choose to cycle, use public transportation, and help clean the city with free food, bikes, and canal boat rides. The idea is to prompt travelers to reflect on the decisions they make when traveling. It spreads activities across multiple locations in Copenhagen, dragging tourists away from overcrowded hotspots, benefiting local businesses, and mixing locals with visitors. A bit of civic pride goes a long way!

What the Netherlands Can Learn:

Picture canal cleanups where participants are rewarded with free boat tours. Think of the bike removals here (hello), or perhaps a campaign that gives out donations in return for volunteering away from the city center. Changing people from being passive tourist consumers into active contributors creates a win-win situation for both locals and visitors.

Conclusion

The Netherlands doesn’t need to set back the clock to tackle over-tourism. It’s already made some bold moves; proposing short-term rental controls or limiting alcohol consumption in certain areas is a great start. For everything else, it can look to its neighbor for inspiration. Denmark has successfully navigated the economic benefits of tourism with the living standards of locals firmly in mind. Tourists are not a burden but, instead, a resource.

The goal shouldn’t be to deter tourists but to enhance the experience of mass tourism for both Dutch and international visitors by directing them to what matters. From promoting multi-regional tourism, improving cycling networks, and leveraging technology, there are a range of possibilities that the Netherlands could explore, any one of which would alleviate pressure on its cities while maintaining sustainable tourism. If any country on earth can implement fresh ideas and learn new lessons, it’s the Netherlands.