Sex, drugs and drink: Amsterdam’s tourism campaign aims to discourage ‘harmful’ British tourists

Amsterdam has launched a tourism campaign to ward off “harmful” tourists.

The “discouragement campaign” wants to ward off visitors who come to the city primarily to drink, take drugs and have sex.

It is particularly aimed at British tourists, who are considered one of the less well-behaved visitors to the Dutch city.

The advertising campaign comes after authorities in Amsterdam introduced a series of measures to curb disruptive behaviour.

Amsterdam wants ‘troublesome’ Brits to stay away

amsterdam hopes its new tourism campaign will change the city’s reputation as a destination primarily for drugs, alcohol and prostitution.

Councilors fear the red-light district will attract vulgar and voyeuristic tourism which is not welcome in the city.

Authorities will launch a “discouragement campaign” next spring targeting foreign visitors who engage in offensive behavior.

“The goal of the discouragement campaign is to keep away visitors we don’t want. If we love the city, we must act now, said Sofyan Mbarki, the city’s deputy mayor who is implementing the tourism measures.

“We must act to prevent nuisance and overcrowding. Amsterdam is a global city and bustle and liveliness go hand in hand, but to keep our city livable we must choose limits over irresponsible growth.

amsterdamThe red-light district of is famous for its legalized brothels and shop windows of sex workers.

But locals say the area attracts drunk tourists that create an uncomfortable and dangerous atmosphere.

The city one cannabis the cafes also attract rowdy groups of bachelor and bachelor parties.

The ‘stay away’ tourism campaign will initially focus on UK visitors, reports the Times. If successful, the ad will also target travelers from other countries.

Amsterdam introduces new restrictions to curb disrespectful tourist behavior

The advertising campaign comes after the Dutch city announced a series of new measures to combat offensive visitor behavior.

Deputy Mayor Mbarki introduced restrictions, including a ban on smoking cannabis in the streets of the city center.

The measures will also see a limit on bachelor parties and pub crawls and a reduced number of river cruises.

There are also plans for a new “erotic” center on the outskirts of town. The council hopes to move about 100 downtown brothel windows to the multi-story structure.

The goal is to “clean up” the reputation of the city and instead focus tourism on its historic buildings and romantic canals.

The authorities have a long-term plan to reduce the number of tourists – below 10 million nights per year – and limit Airbnb rentals.