What The Changes To Tourists In Amsterdam Could Mean For Travelers

There are famous cities, and then there’s Amsterdam. The capital of the Netherlands is known for many things: its architecture, the canal system, and its tourist industry. Of course, people all have their own reasons for heading to the historic city, but that’s all about to change.

Amsterdam has been in the headlines recently as it wants to shake the reputation it has earned across the world, with many asking the same thing: what do the changes to tourists in Amsterdam mean for travelers? It seems the Dutch capital only has one country in mind at the moment, but that could change if the rule changes are successful.

Amsterdam has long been associated with certain activities

Being more liberal than many other countries in Europe means that Amsterdam has long attracted millions of people to the city. Adult establishments and narcotics are found across the city, with many forgetting the Dutch capital is also filled with history, art, and a host of natural beauty. The problem? Its reputation means that plenty of people, especially those in Europe, head to the city to enjoy the sleazier side of it all, with Amsterdam hoping it can finally shake its reputation once and for all.

The campaign will largely be aimed at British tourists

In March 2023, Amsterdam launched the “Stay Away” campaign, which, for now, will only be shown to certain British people. Apparently, it works by targeting people aged 18 to 35 years old - particularly men  - who search for specific key terms, such as “pub crawl Amsterdam,” “cheap hotel Amsterdam,” and “stag party Amsterdam” - aka the UK’s version of a bachelor party. Being a cheap option for many travelers and having access to things they don’t get at home means plenty of Brits want to head to Amsterdam to experience everything it has to offer. The problem? They have a reputation for being some of the rowdiest tourists, with officials hoping to keep them away. These searches and more will immediately bring up a video that outlines the warnings of using narcotics, drinking to excess, and antisocial behavior, with officials adding Amsterdam will roll out their campaign if it proves to be successful.

The “Stay Away” campaign is just the beginning for Amsterdam

The “Stay Away” campaign is one thing, but moving some aspects that made the city so famous to begin with is another. That’s soon to be the case if the officials have their way, as they admit they want to limit the number of people allowed on bachelor and bachelorette parties, using narcotics on the streets around the city center, and people going on bar crawls around the city. As if that wasn’t enough, there is even talk of moving the famous district out of the city center and to a specific new neighborhood away from the inner city. Of course, this has been met with a lot of backlash already, with locals and workers in the industry campaigning to keep the district where it has been since the 1300s.

This isn’t the first time Amsterdam has tried to change

Believe it or not, but this isn’t the first time that Amsterdam has tried to crack down on the number of tourists they have coming to the city, specifically people there to have a good time - and potentially disrupt the peace. In 2021, there were rumblings that Amsterdam would be changing the way it works in a bid to keep the peace it had enjoyed since the start of the global pandemic. This would include banning narcotics from being sold to anyone outside the area and creating tourist-free spaces. While the rules are yet to come into play, it appears Amsterdam has other ways of trying to keep people away.

The changes to tourists in Amsterdam might not mean much to many people right now, but they could already be having an effect on people in Britain. The problem? If things go well and Amsterdam sees fewer tourists than right now, the rest of the world could soon, too, see a lot of resistance from the city.