International attraction

The Amsterdam attraction

The city's unique character was discovered on a large scale after 1950, when international tourism began to increase. Amsterdam is now one of Europe's top ten tourist cities. Amsterdam attracts some 4 million visitors who have a choice of 33,000 hotel beds and stay a combined total of some 7.7 million nights.

An international favourite

Amsterdam is a popular location for visitors from all over the world: in 2004, visitors from Great Britain averaged 1,693,000 ­nights; US visitors averaged 1,241,000 nights; Germany averaged 514,000; Italy averaged 369,000; France averaged 359,000, and Spain 325,000. With an annual turnover of approxima­tely €3 billion, tourism has become a solid ele­ment in Amsterdam's economy.

Gateway to Europe

Thanks to its central location, Amsterdam has developed into a major gateway to Europe for intercontinental air traffic. This is primarily due to the superb Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which is linked with 240 cities in 85 countries all over the world. Ranking fourth in Europe, Schiphol handles over 31,6 million passengers per year. Renowned among experienced international travellers for its ultramodern, user-friendly facilities, the airport is also famed for its fine ‘See Buy Fly’ tax-free shop­ping centre.

Holland's capital also has excellent railway connections with other European cities (40 international trains daily) and Amsterdam's thoroughfares provide easy access to a vast network of superhighways that leads to all parts of Europe. During the tourist season, cruise ships to Scandinavia or the Mediterranean area sail from Amsterdam practically every week. Passengers taking cruises up the Rhine River, towards Germany and Switzer­land, embark from a pier adjacent to Amster­dam's Central Railway Station.

Cosmopolitan village

Visitors in Amsterdam are especially captivated by the atmosphere of Amsterdam's lively 17th century city centre. Strolling through the narrow streets or along the tree-lined canals, tourists are de­lighted to discover an Old World charm complemented by the excitement of a cosmopolitan metropolis. This, combined with the hospitality of the multi-lingual, friendly Amsterdammers mean that many return for longer visits.