Why Amsterdam Is Changing Its Reputation From Party City To Cultural Icon

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Last Updated 6 minutes in the past

Wild stag events, rowdy late-night vacationers, and overcrowding are what come to thoughts for the Amsterdam tourism scene for some, however now locals wish to take again their metropolis and alter its status from occasion central to a cultural hub. Residents are stated to be fed up with nuisance vacationers which have hit an all-time excessive after town reopened after the pandemic.

Last week, Amsterdam metropolis proposed a major package of initiatives that will curb nuisance tourism and would encourage extra high quality vacationers that had been occupied with exploring town as a substitute of late-night partying, hashish cafes, and brothels.

“If we love the city, we have to act now,” stated the Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, in a press launch. “Much has been done in recent years, but we need to do even more. Intervention is needed to counter the nuisance and overcrowding. Amsterdam is a metropolis and that means a lively and bustling city, but to keep our city livable, we now have to opt for limits instead of irresponsible growth.”

What Changes Are Being Proposed

• Capping Tourists: 18 million individuals have visited Amsterdam this yr, which equates to the identical variety of residents in the entire nation. There is at present a pledge to restrict vacationer numbers to twenty million, and initiatives have already kicked in to assist, equivalent to capping the number of people arriving at Amsterdam’s main airport, Schiphol.
• Increased Cannabis Bans: town needs to ban smoking hashish on streets in sure scorching spot vacationer places and can be wanting into banning gross sales of hashish within the red-light district on weekends. This ban goals to align with the present alcohol sale bans within the red-light district, which restricts alcohol purchases at liquor shops after 4 pm on Thursdays to Sundays.
• Converting Hotel Space To Homes Or Offices: lodge homeowners shall be inspired to transform lodge areas to properties or workplaces as a substitute, in an effort to cap in a single day company.

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• Banning Organized Pub Crawls: pub crawls are on warning, as town proposes an investigation into what authorized choices can be found to ban organized pub crawls and restrict their availability to reduce drunken crowds.
• Closing The Red Light District Earlier: eating places, bars, and brothels are all part of the institutions which are proposed to shut earlier within the crimson gentle district to restrict the variety of individuals within the space at evening.
• Implementing A “Stay Away” Campaign For Tourists: additional efforts are proposed to discourage low-grade tourism, equivalent to a ‘stay away’ marketing campaign that detracts specific vacationers. Travel specialists have already started taking the lead and have recommended Amsterdam as a city not to visit in 2023.

• Raising Tourist Tax: The metropolis is contemplating elevating the vacationer tax throughout peak instances. The present vacationer tax is 7% of the lodging value for resorts (excluding meals and beverage) and three euros per individual per evening or 10% of vacation leases.
• Moving Brothels To Assigned Areas: Mayor Femke Halsema has detailed her plans to maneuver brothels to an erotic heart, the place the mayor and metropolis council paid an architect to give you the design. The plans are at present going through backlash on account of native opposition and employees not wanting to maneuver away from common scorching spots, so a brand new answer is at present being mentioned.

• Doubling Down On Organized Crime: officers are wanting into curbing organized crime from vacationer outlets, cafes, and different institutions that particularly goal vacationers.

The proposals by town nonetheless must be introduced to the elected council throughout its assembly on December 21.

Why Are These Changes Being Implemented?

When extra individuals go to one metropolis than the inhabitants of the entire nation, this could result in hostile penalties for locals. Amsterdam has developed a status as a stag occasion vacation spot however has a lot more to offer than its cafes and late-night bar hops.

The Holland Tourism Board has turn into centered on readjusting its advertising marketing campaign and selling completely different areas within the Netherlands, with an goal to section vacationers and unfold them out throughout completely different instances. In its 10-year plan referred to as Perspective 2030, it has pledged to “attract different visitors to different areas at different times” and put native residents first.

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This article initially appeared on TravelOffPath.com