08/08/2025

LYFE FRIDAY | AUG 8, 2025

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W ITH its historic windmills and gabled wooden houses nestling by a meandering river, the picture-perfect and TikTok-famous area of Zaanse Schans is a must-see for any visitor to the Netherlands. But the village of centuries-old buildings near Amsterdam has become “a national symbol of overtourism”, according to local authorities, who now want to charge a hotly contested entrance fee. The fierce debate over the €17.50 (RM85.60) ticket planned for next year comes during a global backlash against mass tourism that has seen hotspots such as Venice charge for day trips. On a glorious summer day, long queues for the world-famous windmills snaked outside the doors and crowds shuffled over bridges, waiting in line for Instagram-ready snaps of the bucolic scenery. Buses disgorge scores of day-tripping tourists all day long, packing into a relatively small area that is public and free to visit – for now. The council in nearby Zaanstad said the fee is vital to preserve the heritage buildings, which are coming under “severe pressure” from high tourist numbers. “For several years now, the Zaanse Schans has been a national symbol of overtourism,” said alderman Wessel Breunesse. Around 2.6 million tourists visited last year, a figure set to rise to three million in coming years if nothing is done, the council said. An entrance fee could reduce the annual volume to around 1.8 million and bring in millions of euros to preserve these historic buildings. “Doing nothing is not an option. Without sufficient resources for adequate maintenance, the heritage will be lost in the short term (five to seven years),” said the council in a statement. Tourism-dependent economy What many tourists do not know until they arrive is that while many of the buildings date from the 16th century, the site itself is a recent and artificial oddity. After World War II, traditional timber construction was in danger of dying out for good.

Featuring historic windmills and gabled wooden houses nestling by a meandering river, the area seems made for tourists and Instagram posts.

The village of centuries-old buildings near Amsterdam has become ‘a national symbol of overtourism’, according to local authorities.

Visitors to the TikTok-famous area take pictures of their ice-cream.

Overtourism debate plagues Dutch windmill village

o Local authorities mull imposing entrance fee to preserve heritage buildings

believe an entrance fee would be a death blow for the local economy and jobs. “There is a lot of fear,” she said, estimating that around 80% of the local economy is dependent on tourism. Her cheese shop is brimming with tourists, attracted by free samples and souvenirs, but she said the fee would be a major drag on spending. A family of four would already be paying around €80 with parking, reducing their budget for on-site purchases, she noted. “They do not buy cheese. They do not buy clocks. They buy a souvenir or maybe the smallest cheese there is,” she said. Referendum demand The Kraakmans have collected more than 2,000 signatures for a referendum on the issue, but their push has so far fallen on deaf ears in the town hall. Aware of some local hostility, the council has pledged the site will stay

Eager to preserve this slice of history, local mayor Joris in ’t Veld came up with a plan: he would uproot the houses and relocate them to a new protected site. The first mill arrived in 1955, the first house a few years later. Eventually, the “Zaanse Schans” site was famous enough to be officially “opened” by Queen Juliana in 1972. “The Zaanse Schans was never conceived as the international crowd-puller it is today, attracting millions of visitors from all over the world,” noted alderman Breunesse. But for local resident and businesswoman Ingrid Kraakman, the plan to charge an entrance fee would spell disaster, as a citizen and for the cheese shop in which she works. “As a resident from this area, I do not want to live behind a fence... that is not okay,” said the 62-year-old from her 17th-century home in the heart of Zaanse Schans. Kraakman and her husband Ko have lived in the area for 33 years and

Tourists take a picture in front of windmills in Zaanse Schans. – PICS FROM AFP

Spanish visitor Robert Duque said: “It is a lovely place but sometimes it is too crowded and you do not really get to enjoy the full experience.” The 35-year-old operations manager said he would welcome the entrance fee to crimp tourist volumes. “I think it is good, so we can stagger the arrival of guests and we can enjoy the facilities more,“ said Duque. – AFP

free for locals and that there will be no physical fence around the area. Although the plans are for next year, an amendment was introduced to allow for the possibility of delays. Now 2026 seems too short a deadline – a “moonshot”, said one local official on condition of anonymity. Most tourists said the trip would be worth it even if they had to pay.

Artists create portraits of tourists on the street. – PICS FROM REUTERS

Paris’ historic Montmartre quarter is partly famous to due its depiction in the 2001 film Amelie .

Tourists walk through crowded streets of the Place du Tertre.

Paris battles post-Olympic flood of visitors starting to feel the strain. Stringent housing regulations and the city’s size have helped, but locals who live on the cobbled streets of Montmartre say change is urgently needed. theme park. “People come for three hours, have fun, buy a beret or a crepe, and leave – as if they were in an amusement park,” she said. Meanwhile, essential food shops for residents are vanishing, replaced by snack stands and souvenir stalls. RESIDENTS of Montmartre in Paris are sounding the alarm over overtourism, fearing their picturesque hilltop neighbourhood could become the next Barcelona or Venice, as tourist numbers spike following last year’s Olympic Games.

disappearing one after the other. Now it is a lot of ice cream, crepes, taco places,” she said. Her association has proposed measures to the town hall similar to those in other European tourist hotspots: limiting tour groups to 25 people, banning loudspeakers and raising the tourist tax. Tourism in the Paris region reached 48.7 million visitors last year, with about 11 million visiting Montmartre annually,

largely to see the photogenic Sacre Coeur basilica. The narrow streets have become clogged with tour groups, leaving locals frustrated. “Sometimes I have to really raise my voice and say, ‘Sorry, I want to pass’,” said Anthea Quenel, 44, a mother of two and local resident. Paris officials said 2025 is shaping up to be a bumper tourist year, with a 20% rise in January bookings over the same month last year. – Reuters

Anne Renaudie, who has lived in the area for 29 years and heads the Vivre a Montmartre association, said the historic quarter made famous by the 2001 film Amelie now resembles a

While Paris has so far avoided the large-scale protests seen in Spain and Italy, some of its most iconic areas are

“We are down to two or three butchers, two cheese shops. They are