Amsterdam is unprecedented cold

In the absence of tourists because of Covid-19, the city government of Amsterdam (Netherlands) is proposing measures to control the massively returning crowds after the epidemic.
As international travel stagnated in 2020, Amsterdam, like many other cities around the world, ran out of visitors overnight, according to The New York Times.

For Sonia Philipse, the owner of a restaurant in Amsterdam, the absence of crowds makes her city more peaceful and beautiful than ever before. “At this point, we are looking forward to the return of tourists. But I think there was a time when people were really happy that the city was so quiet, ”Philipse said. Amsterdam’s red light district before and after the outbreak of Covid-19. Over the years, Amsterdam has tried to reconcile becoming a vibrant international hub without affecting residents’ lives and not ignoring the inherent freedom and popularity. Now, with the number of tourists still meager, the leaders of Amsterdam are trying to put new restrictions on three important issues: short-term renting, sex tourism and selling marijuana to traveler. This is all to ensure that the “ingrained” problems stemming from tourism no longer arise when tourists return. The above measures make the Netherlands one of the pioneering countries in Europe to adopt a practical approach to tourism management. However, even as many locals enjoy the peaceful Amsterdam atmosphere, some disagree with the city’s strategies. Need to change Complaints from the people of Amsterdam started to rise up in 2013, when tourism fully recovered from the 2008 financial crisis. Locals lament that tourists are noisy and disruptive in the city center, disrespecting prostitutes, short-term renting a house that drives up property prices and controlling some of the most beautiful, historic areas of the city. city. “The tourist economy does more damage to locals than adds value,” said Geerte Udo, director of Amsterdam & Partners, a nonprofit that manages city tourism. We need to change everything in the city center if we want to bring balance to life, employment and renewal. The boats were deserted in central Amsterdam on a recent evening. Prior to the pandemic, city leaders came up with a number of measures to try to minimize problems stemming from tourism, including a ban on guided tours to Red Light Street, banning visitors New hotels in the city center, increased tourism taxes, banned new shops serving tourists. Since 2014, Amsterdam has stopped promoting itself as a destination in new overseas markets. Instead, the city’s marketing department guided and managed all visitors to the city. However, even with those measures, tourism continues to grow. In 2019, articles criticized the surge in tourist arrivals in Amsterdam, Venice and Barcelona as prime examples of over-tourism in Europe. Sex, cannabis and “monoculture” Since the outbreak of the pandemic, leaders of Amsterdam, led by mayor Femke Halsema, have continued to push for tourism regulation, focusing on Red Light Street – the ancient area of ​​central Amsterdam and the magnet attracts tourists. On a typical Saturday night before, Red Light Street blows young men from bar to bar, be it entering sex shops, cafes or staring at the flower girl is showing off her figure by the window. In a letter to the city council in July 2019, Mayor Femke Halsema said: “The public spaces dominated by businesses are mostly rape, drugs and alcohol. The number of tourists is constantly increasing, depraved behavior, shrinking retail structure, rising property prices, commercialization of public spaces and crime control all require measures ” . In addition, Ms. Halsema proposed four scenarios for the future of sex work in Red Light Street (prostitution is legal and regulated in the Netherlands). One is the transfer of all sex workers to “prostitution hotels” elsewhere in the city. However, the proposal was not fully approved. An employee stood outside a cafe on the Red Light Street. Another interesting proposal from the mayor’s office would prevent visitors from buying marijuana at cafes in Amsterdam, which are concentrated in Red Light Street. Last summer, in the face of complaints, the city issued a complete ban on all short-term rental services in three downtown districts, including the Red Light Street. Victor Everhardt, the deputy mayor of Amsterdam, said the measures are in line with the practical Dutch approach to solving the problems. However, some of the proposed measures are also controversial. Irina, a spokesman for PROUD, a coalition of about 300 prostitutes across the Netherlands, said the idea of ​​moving prostitutes away from Red Light Street was widely opposed. “The problem is not with prostitutes. We have lived in one area for centuries. The problem is that the number of tourists coming to Amsterdam is booming. They come for many reasons, ”she said. Irina added that instead of focusing on prostitutes, the government should have more police on the streets, while at the same time increasing enforcement of current regulations against urination, drunkenness and public disorder. plus. “Prostitutes are being seen as scapegoats, along with cafes, for causing problems that they never did,” she said. Royal Palace on March 26. The square, which is bustling with tourists, has been deserted since the pandemic broke out. Similarly, the mayor’s recent proposal to ban cafes in Amsterdam from selling cannabis to tourists was also opposed. Historically, tourists and locals have frequented the city’s 167 licensed cafes to relax, socialize, play board games and smoke marijuana – classified for fish use. people in the Netherlands. Joachim Helms, cafe owner and spokesperson for the Association of Dutch Cannabis Retailers, said the proposed ban would force visitors to buy cannabis on the street. That could cause them to be taken advantage of, as well as damage the reputation of Amsterdam. Roy Van Kempen (31 years old), marketing director living in Amsterdam since 2008, said: “Paris has the Eiffel Tower. We have a Red Light District. I really didn’t want any disturbance in the city, ”he said. Irina, Helms, Van Kempen and many others in Amsterdam agree that the city center has a big problem: A “monoculture” tourism has taken root and residents are being pushed out. Businesses and services that used to serve locals (high-end bakeries, butcher shops …) have been replaced by jewelry shops, ice cream parlors and take-away waffles … mainly aimed at tourists. Meanwhile, rising housing prices (partly due to the development of Airbnb and other rental platforms) have left many locals unable to afford to stay in the city center. “This monoculture issue has come to the fore in the past year,” said Geerte Udo, adding that she was influenced by the feeling of desolation in the city center during the pandemic. , especially compared to other areas of Amsterdam. “This really opened my eyes. There are not enough people living and working in the city center to regain the liveliness when tourists are gone, ”said Udo.