A campaign to discourage tourists from coming to Amsterdam solely to party, consume alcohol or drugs and visit the famous Red Light District. This is what the municipality put in place on Tuesday. The Dutch capital is stepping up measures to combat crime and nuisance in its city centre, which is particularly popular with young tourists for bachelor parties and pub crawls.
British men aged 18 to 35 first targeted
The brothels of the Red Light District, located in the heart of the city, are also one of Amsterdam's major tourist attractions. "This online campaign of discouragement targets unwelcome tourists who want to visit Amsterdam to 'go wild', with all the consequences that come with it," the municipality said in a statement.
The campaign will initially target the UK and will target men aged 18 to 35, a category of tourists heavily represented on the streets of Amsterdam, she said. It will then address visitors from the Netherlands and other EU countries, who may cause nuisance.
Cannabis banned in the Red Light District
Those who type into a search engine terms such as "bachelor party Amsterdam", "cheap hotel Amsterdam" and "Amsterdam bar crawls", will receive warning messages. "These ads will show the risks and consequences of antisocial behavior and excessive drug and alcohol use, such as a fine, arrest by police, criminal record, hospitalization and health damage," the municipality said.
"Visitors will remain welcome, but not if they misbehave and cause nuisance," said Sofyan Mbarki, deputy mayor. "In this case, we, as a city, will say, 'We don't prefer, stay away,'" he continued, in the statement. Amsterdam recently announced a ban on smoking cannabis on the streets of the Red Light District, a measure coupled with tighter restrictions on alcohol and an earlier weekend closure of cafes, bars, restaurants and brothels.
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- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
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