Amsterdam is warning young British males not to come to the city to “romp” and “let loose.”
The city’s local government said in a news release on Tuesday that a new web campaign to prevent disruptive tourism in the Dutch capital began this week and is targeted at visitors between the ages of 18 and 35.
When British travelers look up phrases like “bachelorette party Amsterdam,” “discount hotel Amsterdam,” or “pub crawl Amsterdam” online, a video ad alerting them to the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, drug use, or antisocial behavior surfaces.
A drunken young man’s arrest is captured on camera. “Come to Amsterdam for a messy night + get trashed = €140 fine + criminal record = less,” the accompanying text reads. In a different video, a person is seen being carried to the hospital while unconscious. The caption for the video reads, “Come to Amsterdam to do drugs + lose control = hospital trip + permanent health harm = anxious family.” “So you’re travelling to Amsterdam for drugs?” it continues. Keep away. Visitors are still welcome, but not if they act badly and bother others. As a city, we will respond by saying, “Better not, stay away,” according to Deputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki’s statement in the press release.
“Amsterdam already takes a number of measures to combat overtourism and annoyance, and we do it more frequently than other large European cities. Yet if we want to give tourism a sustainable role in our city, we need to do more in the years to come. Later in the year, tourists from the Netherlands and other EU nations who the local council claimed may cause trouble could be included in the “Keep Away” campaign.
This month, Amsterdam will also begin a campaign called “How to Amsterdam” for tourists who are already in the city. Social media and street signage caution visitors against getting intoxicated, being loud, purchasing narcotics from street vendors, and urinating in public.
The local government is also coordinating with bachelor party venues to figure out how to lessen obtrusive tourism in the city center and is awaiting analysis on the viability of implementing a tourist fee.
Amsterdam established various limitations and a ban on marijuana usage in the streets last month.
