Zaanstad plans to benefit from Amsterdam's tourism policy

The new Zaanstad city council wants to take advantage of Amsterdam's popularity among tourists and the measures the Dutch capital is taking to spread out the crowds of visitors, according to the Zaandstad coalition agreement presented on Sunday, AT5 reports.

"Zaanstad can benefit from the popularity of Amsterdam and the fact that the capital is taking measures to spread tourists more into the region", coalition parties VVD, PvdA, ROSA, D66, CDA and ChristenUnie wrote in their agreement. Zaanstad is therefore increasing tourist tax to 7 euros per night, and is also looking into whether the Amsterdam tourist tax system can be implemented in Zaanstad from 2020.

A lot still needs to be done about Zaanstad's accessibility, according to the new council. In the coming years, effort will be put into making sure that "one or more fixed and recognizable tourist routes" run from Amsterdam to Zaanstad. "We are committed to a subway connection between Amsterdam and Zaanstad", the coalition wrote. An alderman from the previous council also called for a subway connection between the two municipalities last year.

The parties also want to open another museum in Zaanstad center. "In that we also call on art depots in Amsterdam and the Zaanse city archive. The Zaanstreek is attractive to tourists because of the history of the unique Dutch landscape."

The city council wants to present Zaanstad as a "unique and dynamic area where old and new coexist".