The tax increase comes into effect next year and entails a new fee of EUR 3, about SEK 32, per hotel night for foreign tourists. For travelers using the Airbnb accommodation service, the tax is increased to 10 percent.
According to CNN, the tax increase means that an overnight stay at a one-star hotel in Amsterdam will be more expensive for tax purposes than one night at a five-star hotel in other European cities.
"It is likely that Amsterdam will receive the highest overnight tax in Europe on average," Tim Fairhurst, of the European tourism organization ETOA, told CNN.
It is not just the overnight stay that will be more expensive in Amsterdam next year. A new tax of EUR 8, about SEK 85, is introduced for tourists arriving to the city by boat. A new fee of EUR 0.66, about SEK 7, is also introduced on the city's sightseeing boats.
18 million tourists annually
Amsterdam, with around 867,000 inhabitants, receives about 18 million tourists annually. According to the Amsterdam government, the increased taxes should help the city deal with all the problems caused by the tourist storm - and should not be seen as a way to try to scare off tourists.
"Visitors will contribute more to the high costs of keeping the city safe and clean, and to keeping public spaces such as sidewalks, quays, bridges and streets in good condition," a spokesman for the State Council told CNN.
High taxes in several cities
Amsterdam is not the only European city that raises taxes for tourists. In nearby Rotterdam, a tax of 6.5 percent is imposed on each hotel night, and in Dortmund German, the tax is 7.5 percent. CNN reports.
In Berlin, Bonn and Bremen, the tax is 5 percent.