Amsterdam Is Banning The Sale Of Cannabis To Tourists
Amsterdam’s coffee shops are famous for the sale of cannabis and many people travel there for this reason, but that is coming to an end.
Amsterdam in the Netherlands is a fascinating city with plenty to offer visitors. Whether it’s the great art galleries and museums, attractive architecture or fantastic restaurants, there are endless pleasures to be had in the city. However, the city is also known for its famous Red Light District and for its 166 coffee shops, selling the best brands of cannabis. According to a report in the Guardian, this has been spoken of for some time, but now things are officially going to change in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam’s Red Light District And Coffee Shops
Besides the great cultural, historic and dining attractions, Amsterdam attracts millions of visitors to its more notorious side. Here, travelers arrive looking for sensory pleasures in the form of the notorious Red Light District. They also travel to Amsterdam looking for the best strains of cannabis, but not for much longer.
Tours will no longer be available to the Red Light districts, while officials also double down on proposals to ban non-residents from purchasing cannabis at the city’s coffee shops.
Amsterdam has a population of around 850,000 people and has struggled in recent years with the millions of tourists that head to the city each year. 2018 saw 19 million visitors to the Dutch city, which might sound good to anyone working in tourism. However, it seems the lure of the famous coffee shops is one major factor for their choice to visit Amsterdam.
Visitors Surveyed About The Coffee Shops
In 2020, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema commissioned a survey of tourists. The survey included questions about their relationship to the city’s coffee shops. After the survey was complete, it revealed that an astounding 57 percent of foreigners visiting the city say that visiting a coffee shop is a “very important reason” for traveling to Amsterdam.
When the surveyed foreigners were asked whether or not they would return to Amsterdam if they had no access to the coffee shops, 34 percent of overseas visitors said they were unsure. Meanwhile, another 11 percent said they definitely would not.
Mayor Halsema told the council, “Amsterdam is an international city and we wish to attract tourists, but we would like them to come for its richness, its beauty and its cultural institutions.” She added that the problem is, there are just too many of them.
With The Number Of Visitors To Amsterdam, Over-Tourism This Is A Very Real Issue
Naturally with the number of visitors to Amsterdam, over-tourism is a very real issue. This is especially so in the areas of Singel and De Wallen, where coffee shops and the iconic red light windows are prevalent. The results of the survey have brought up questions about whether the restriction of tourist access to the coffee shops is a good way to reduce numbers. Meanwhile, these proposals also form part of a wider plan to tackle organized crime in the center of Amsterdam.
On January 8, 2021, Mayor Halsema wrote a letter to the council proposing the introduction of a “resident criterion,” which would allow only locals to use the coffee shops. This would, in effect, reduce the attraction of cannabis for tourists, as well as make tourism in the city easier to handle. Already, tourist taxes were raised in 2020 and tougher sanctions were imposed on the renting out of Airbnbs in the city in an effort to combat over-tourism.
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— Annemarie @ TMT (@touristmtravel) January 8, 2021
New Coffee Shop Rules Come Into Effect In 2022
Those who love to visit Amsterdam for the coffee shop culture or the Red Light District have some time left to enjoy it. The new cannabis measures are expected to come in next year. However, right now, all non-essential shops – including coffee shops – are currently closed throughout the Netherlands due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Another aspect to note is that while it is legal for coffee shops to sell cannabis, production of the drug is illegal in the Netherlands, making it difficult for anyone to set up a “home industry.”
Whatever your reasons for visiting Amsterdam, next time take advantage of the marvelous art galleries, architecture and museums, take a boat tour of the canals, hire a bicycle to explore the bike-friendly city and dine at the many excellent restaurants. This is what tourism in Amsterdam is supposed to be about.
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