Tourists rate Amsterdam a solid 8

Tourists give Amsterdam on average an 8.1 rating. So say the results of a poll among some 6.000 visitors. The poll was commissioned by the Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Bureau.

Spanish tourists consider Amsterdam too cold, and Belgians are not all that keen on the city’s many bicycles.

The average day-tripper is a Dutch female in her late forties.

Most tourists engage in sightseeing. A quarter of all visitors also take a look inside a coffeeshop (which is why we chose not to title this story, “Tourists rate Amsterdam highly…”)

Crowded Damrak. Posted to Flickr by TheFalcon

Besides Amsterdam’s architecture, tourists enjoy the atmosphere and the people best. Foreign visitors consider Amsterdammers to be both tolerant and helpful — and they rave about their knowledge of various languages.

Negative points went to trash in the streets, drugs, and crime.

The number of visitors complaining that the city is very crowded has doubled in comparison with a similar poll held in 2001.

American and British visitors are most positive about the city. They also spend the most money.

Americans spend €153 a day. The money for the most part goes to accommodation and attractions. Brits, on the other hand, spent most of their money on food and drink.

Dutch visitors give the city a 7.6. A spokeswoman for the Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Bureau said that many Dutch people consider Amsterdam too crowded in comparison with their hometown.