Amsterdam to ban 'disrespectful' tours of red-light district

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Amsterdam to ban 'disrespectful' tours of red-light district

Move is just one of measures taken to limit impact of mass tourism on historic city centre

Jon Henley European affairs correspondent
Wed 20 Mar 2019 17.47 GMT

Amsterdam is to ban guided tours of its red-light district as part of an effort to restrict the increasing throngs of visitors in its historic city centre, and because “they are not respectful” to sex workers.

“It is no longer acceptable in this age to see sex workers as a tourist attraction,” city councillor Udo Kock said. A survey has shown that 80% of sex workers say gawping tourists are bad for their business and councillors last year suggested moving the red light district to another part of the city.

Fuelled by cheap flights and online booking, tourist numbers in Amsterdam – a city of 850,000 residents – rose to 19 million in 2018, with mayor Femke Halsema predicting 29 million by 2025. The medieval city centre is becoming increasingly unlivable, residents say.

The ban, which comes into effect on 1 January, will cover paid and free tours, which according to the city council have “a magnetic effect” on visitor numbers.

The maximum number of people allowed on organised tours of the rest of the city centre will be reduced from 20 to 15, and guides will have to have a council permit and quality check, and observe strict rules of behaviour.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/20/amsterdam-to-ban-disrespectful-tours-of-red-light-district

[wasupaloopa]

1. My brother went there. He said "I saw a woman with nothing but a thong." as if he expected

something else. I didn't respond but I thought what did you think you would see? Why did you go there? To see women with little on I am sure.

[GP6971]

2. We were in the Netherlands a couple of years ago.

and we spent the last 2 days of our trip in Amsterdam. We took the train to the city and it's pretty hard not to miss the district....it's within easy walking distance of the central train station. There were a lot of tour groups and many contained very rude people...blatantly taking pictures and making snide and vulgar remarks.

[Callalily]

3. We were in Amsterdam last July, and I'd visit again in a heartbeat.

Recently saw an announcement similar to above, and I don't blame the city of Amsterdam for discouraging or even banning some tourists. Many tourists have been so disrespectful, peeing in peoples plants, vandalizing property, encaging in loud parties all night, simply being rude to it's citizens. One gentleman approached a couple of young male tourists who were partying on the street near his home (he lived on a canal), and asked them to quiet down, after all it was 3 a.m. The tourists said that he should move if he didn't like the noise. This behavior and similar behavior is what's initiating the ban. The mayor of Amsterdam realizes that it's a bit of a "party town", but that doesn't mean tourists should be disrespectful.