Uitermark studies how digital platforms influence tourism in the city. He compares platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Google Maps and AI tools like ChatGPT. Each platform presents a different side of Amsterdam.

TikTok: food and long queues

Anyone viewing Amsterdam through the lens of TikTok sees something different from someone opening a travel guide. ‘Travel guides often show well-known places, such as the canals, museums, parks and monuments. TikTok more often focuses on one particular place,’ Uitermark explains.

The platform revolves around short, moving images, often from the creator’s perspective. This makes it feel as though you are being taken along to a place yourself. A delicious looking cookie, portion of chips or smash burger can be enough to make a small business hugely popular. The result is long queues outside small shops and food outlets, sometimes on streets not designed for large groups of people.

Instagram: beautiful, photogenic places

Instagram highlights different aspects of Amsterdam. Beautiful images matter on this platform: colour, atmosphere and an appealing setting. The city centre is highly visible, as are fashionable neighbourhoods such as De Pijp and Amsterdam Oost. Modern cafés, stylish shops and photogenic locations receive a lot of attention here, while other businesses remain out of sight.

‘What is popular on TikTok does not necessarily have to be popular on Instagram,’ says Uitermark. ‘Research with Marije Peute on the Dappermarkt shows that TikTok and Instagram often bring different shops to people’s attention. An authentic poffertjes stall such as Ome Tom performs well on TikTok, while new cafés are more likely to stand out on Instagram.’

Google Maps: stars and reviews

Google Maps mainly presents the city as a list of rated places. Visitors see star ratings, reviews, opening hours and directions. Which restaurant has a high score? Where have other visitors had a good experience?

Google Maps offers opportunities for business owners. Small, personal businesses often receive positive reviews. Customers appreciate their atmosphere, service and personal attention, and tend to be more forgiving than they are with large restaurant chains.

However, it also makes small business owners vulnerable to negative reviews, Uitermark warns. He mentions a business owner who was driven mad by a broken cash machine next to his shop. Angry people then left negative Google reviews for the shop, even though the owner had nothing to do with the machine.

ChatGPT: lots of museums

If ChatGPT determines your trip to Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum is almost unavoidable. Research by Uitermark and Reza Shaker Ardekani shows that AI language models such as ChatGPT frequently recommend museums.

The researchers created different visitor profiles based on real people who completed a questionnaire. Half of them live in Amsterdam. Yet very different groups often received the same recommendations, which Uitermark finds striking. ‘Someone from Amsterdam may need ChatGPT for a specific tip, not to discover the Rijksmuseum all over again.’

Almost 80 per cent of the simulated users receive the Rijksmuseum as a recommendation. More generally, the recommendations consist largely of museums, while language models tend to advise people against visiting the Red Light District or Leidseplein. The places that are so popular on TikTok are almost entirely absent when asking an AI assistant.

Algorithms are less personal than they seem

Language models are not the only platforms giving the same tips to different groups. Although TikTok and Instagram are strongly based on users’ interests, digital recommendations are less personal than they appear. As a fashion enthusiast, for example, you may be shown a video of a trendy vintage shop — but that video may already have been viewed by millions of people.

Not every hype emerges naturally

A place does not always become popular on its own. More and more business owners pay influencers and marketing agencies to gain online visibility.

In his research into TikTok videos, Uitermark saw a great deal of professionally produced content. Some creators are clearly open to paid collaborations. Business owners sometimes pay more than €1,000 a month for online visibility.

As a result, online marketing has become an important part of the job. Entrepreneurs have to manage accounts, respond to reviews, place advertisements and produce content. ‘Someone said: I thought I was becoming self-employed so I could cook, but I spend two days a week doing accounting and two days a week on Instagram,’ Uitermark says.

This can be particularly difficult for small business owners. Large chains often have professional marketing teams and bigger advertising budgets.

Virtual real estate

Uitermark therefore calls digital platforms a form of virtual real estate. A shop on a busy street pays higher rent because many people walk past it. Something similar applies online: a business must pay more, or invest a great deal of time, to become visible.

‘Google and Meta are essentially Amsterdam’s biggest property owners as a result,’ says Uitermark.

The city becomes predictable

Platforms are also changing the way tourists move through the city. Many visitors no longer set off without a plan. They research in advance where they want to eat, what they want to see and which places other people consider worthwhile.

This has benefits. Visitors can make choices more easily and feel more confident. Videos, lists and reviews help them plan. Yet Uitermark also sees a loss. ‘The city is becoming less of a place where you can get lost, discover something by chance or ask local residents for advice. Exploring a city through your phone reduces the pleasure of travelling and makes places more predictable.’

Look up from your screen

Uitermark’s advice is therefore simple: look up from your screen every now and then. Reviews and social-media posts are often superficial. You are more likely to find special experiences out on the street.

‘Ask someone for a tip, turn down a side street and leave room for the unexpected. That is how a city can still surprise you.’