Amsterdam is so fed up with nuisance tourists that it recently launched what might be the world’s first anti-tourism campaign – telling tourists that come for sex, drugs, and drinking to stay away from the city altogether.
In a new ‘discouragement campaign’ largely aimed at British tourists, widely considered to be the worst-behaved visitors to Amsterdam, the city hopes to change its reputation as a destination for drugs, alcohol, and prostitution.
The city council is concerned that tourist activity in the red light district, known for its legalized brothels and window displays of sex workers, creates a vulgar and voyeuristic atmosphere. Local residents are also seemingly fed up with the constant influx of intoxicated tourists and rowdy bachelor parties stumbling through the city’s streets.
“The aim of the discouragement campaign is to keep out visitors that we do not want. If we love the city, we must take action now”, shared Sofyan Mbarki, Amsterdam’s deputy mayor responsible for implementing the tourism measures.
New rules in Amsterdam
The advertising campaign comes as the city has been introducing new measures to curb offensive visitor behavior and rejuvenate its reputation as a world-class tourism destination.
Some of those plans include relocating the red light district and moving approximately 100 brothel windows from the city center to a multi-story ‘erotic centre’ on the outskirts of town, limiting bachelor parties and pub crawls, and a ban on smoking weed in city center streets.
by travelers, for travelers.
