Amsterdam Tells Partying British Tourists Not To Come
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With travel beginning to open up again for British holiday-makers, typical tourist destinations are preparing themselves for mass tourism, but Amsterdam wants things to be different as it emerges from the pandemic.
One resident of the Dutch city has warned groups of Brits to stay away, saying the city would prefer to welcome other kinds of tourists back.
As reported by The Independent, tour guide Louke Spigt said: "The problems are the uncontrollable groups of drinking Brits, the low-budget tourists who throw all their waste on the streets.
"We want other (kinds of) tourists."
Amsterdam is one of the most visited cities in the world, and while it has loads of culture and history, many go for the other side of it - mainly cannabis and its famous red-light district.
One expert said it's time to try something new.
Ko Koens, professor of new urban tourism at Inholland University of Applied Sciences, told the publication: "Amsterdam is in a lucky position where it could really use the pandemic to try some new things."
"This is the time to experiment," Koens added.
While the deputy mayor of the city, Victor Everhardt, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by email: "If tourists only want to smoke weed, drink too much alcohol and visit the Red Light District, please stay home.
"We have not been able to steal great ideas from other cities - they are now looking at us on how we are dealing with tourism."
As part of trying to keep control of the perception of the city, visitors wishing to head for the Dutch capital might soon be asked to pay 50 Euros (£45) for a passport to stay there for the night, and they could be able to visit an out-of-town 'theme park' consisting of a red light district, all-night bars, and cannabis 'coffee shops'.
These ideas are being considered as a way to move tourism forward in the Netherlands city after Mayor Femke Halsema called for a re-think to protect the lives of residents.
Mayor Halsema has spoken out to say that she wants to improve the quality of life for those who live in the city and for years have had to put up with the hordes of rampaging tourists that flock because of Amsterdam's reputation as a party city.
Of course, the city benefits from this tourism, and before the coronavirus pandemic Amsterdam welcomed nine million tourists and brought between three and 10 billion Euros in income.
Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: travel
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