Amsterdam to ban hotels from jamming in sleeping pods to reduce city center overtourism
4 months ago

Amsterdam to ban hotels from jamming in sleeping pods to reduce city center overtourism

NL Times  

Amsterdam announced more measures the city plans to try to limit the number of people able to spend the night in the capital. Cafe terraces may also be forced to close early, live sex shows in the Red Light District could see operating hours reduced, and coffeeshops may be enticed to relocate from the city center to other parts of Amsterdam. A ban on smoking cannabis or hash on the streets of De Wallen, the portion of the city center that includes the Red Light District, was introduced in April 2023. Divisive policies to cut De Wallen tourism Another relocation plan by Mayor Femke Halsema and the governing coalition to open a high-rise Erotic Center as an alternative brothel to the Red Light District was met with fierce resistance last year. However, the city was forced to reverse the early closing times that sex workers had to abide by when operating in the window brothels in the Red Light District.

Amsterdam Sex Workers City Red District Center De Wallen Sleeping Pods Coffeeshops Existing Rooms  pods  city  ban  sleeping  district  red  amsterdam  sex  jamming  reduce  light  coffeeshops  overtourism  wallen  center  hotels  mayor

History of this topic

Amsterdam travel guide: Best things to do and where to stay for a 2023 city break
1 year, 5 months ago

Amsterdam travel guide: Best things to do and where to stay for a 2023 city break

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Amsterdam is one of Europe's most popular city break destinations, and a little extra planning goes a long way – …

Hospitality industry also opposes Amsterdam's plans for erotic center
1 year, 7 months ago

Hospitality industry also opposes Amsterdam's plans for erotic center

NL Times  

The Amsterdam branch of the hospitality association KHN has joined the protest against the Dutch capital’s plans to close some window brothels in the Red Light District and open an Erotic Center. The spokesperson referred to the ban on smoking weed on the street in the Red Light District and earlier closing times for window brothels and catering establishments in …

How Amsterdam wants to change its image
1 year, 8 months ago

How Amsterdam wants to change its image

Hindustan Times  

"No smoking cannabis in public!" read signs hung around Amsterdam's red light district, or De Wallen, as it is called in Dutch. The Dutch city is cracking down on the growing number of party tourists who have been clogging the streets, especially in the red light district. To combat the excess of party tourism, new rules were put in place …

Amsterdam urges British tourists looking for a ‘messy night’ to stay away
1 year, 11 months ago

Amsterdam urges British tourists looking for a ‘messy night’ to stay away

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Amsterdam has launched a new campaign warning British tourists seeking a “messy” weekend to stay away. …

What is Amsterdam’s plan for an ‘erotic centre’? Why has it upset the European drug regulator?
2 years ago

What is Amsterdam’s plan for an ‘erotic centre’? Why has it upset the European drug regulator?

Firstpost  

Amsterdam’s mayor Femke Halsema plans to replace the city’s red-light district with a multi-storey “erotic centre." According to her, the new centre will ease pressure on the old red-light district and create “an extraordinary place where sex workers can work safely, legally, and undisturbed, and visitors can expect a wide offering of erotica, culture, and entertainment.” Amsterdam last month also …

Amsterdam to ban cannabis in its red light district
2 years, 1 month ago

Amsterdam to ban cannabis in its red light district

The Independent  

It will soon be illegal to smoke cannabis on the street in Amsterdam’s red light district. As well as banning use of cannabis on the street – a popular attraction for tourists visiting the city – sex workers will need to close their venues by 3am. Amsterdam council will also launch a “stay away” campaign in the spring to target …

Why Amsterdam is banning marijuana use in its red light district
2 years, 1 month ago

Why Amsterdam is banning marijuana use in its red light district

Firstpost  

Smoking joints will be prohibited in the canal-lined streets of the Dutch capital housing brothels, sex shops and strip clubs from mid-May. The move comes as locals have for years complained about the menace caused by tourists Amsterdam has banned smoking cannabis on the street in the red light district to tackle crime and “anti-social” behaviour. “Residents of the old …

Amsterdam BANS cannabis from its famous red light district
2 years, 1 month ago

Amsterdam BANS cannabis from its famous red light district

Daily Mail  

Restaurants and bars will have to close by 2am and sex workers' venues by 3am Amsterdam will soon ban cannabis from its famous red light district as part of new regulations by the city. The new laws, which were announced yesterday, will be in force from mid-May and aim to improve residents' quality of life as they have long complained …

Amsterdam wants to ban smoking cannabis in the Red Light District from mid-May
2 years, 1 month ago

Amsterdam wants to ban smoking cannabis in the Red Light District from mid-May

NL Times  

Amsterdam announced plans on Thursday to forbid people from smoking cannabis in the old city center of the capital. Additionally, Mayor Femke Halsema and the coalition of aldermen who lead the city will investigate if they can also ban people from collecting soft drugs at businesses in De Wallen. "Residents of the old city center are structurally and excessively bothered …

Amsterdam campaign tells ‘nuisance’ British tourists to ‘stay away’ from capital
2 years, 3 months ago

Amsterdam campaign tells ‘nuisance’ British tourists to ‘stay away’ from capital

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A new tourism campaign in Amsterdam is attempting to discourage “nuisance” British tourists from visiting the …

Amsterdam wants to force dark stores to move from neighborhoods to business parks
2 years, 5 months ago

Amsterdam wants to force dark stores to move from neighborhoods to business parks

NL Times  

Amsterdam has decided to move rapid grocery delivery services’ dark stores from residential neighborhoods to business parks, the city said on Thursday. And court rulings confirming dark stores’ closures in residential neighborhoods make Amsterdam confident that the moves would be allowed. “Rapid delivery from dark stores is an economic activity that is on the rise but is difficult to fit …

Amsterdam restaurants want to only limit RLD terraces on busy nights
2 years, 10 months ago

Amsterdam restaurants want to only limit RLD terraces on busy nights

NL Times  

Terraces in Amsterdam's Red Light District should only shrink on busy Fridays and Saturdays. Companies that are active in the area popular with tourists previously reacted angrily to measures taken by Amsterdam to prevent crowds and nuisance in the Red Light District. Mayor Femke Halsema recently announced that the permission given to cafes and restaurants to expand terraces will be …

Tourists WILL be banned from Amsterdam's cannabis-selling coffee shops
2 years, 11 months ago

Tourists WILL be banned from Amsterdam's cannabis-selling coffee shops

Daily Mail  

Amsterdam's cannabis coffee shops are set to ban tourists in a 'necessary intervention' to get a grip on the local soft drugs market. Cannabis coffee shops have been a famous tourist attraction in the Dutch capital, which welcomes approximately 20million tourists every year, since they have become available for recreational use in cafes since 1976. Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema …

Amsterdam further restricts tourist stores from city center
3 years, 3 months ago

Amsterdam further restricts tourist stores from city center

NL Times  

The municipality of Amsterdam forbade 165 business owners in the center of Amsterdam to use their stores as a tourist, sex, or smartshop. Amsterdam should be first and foremost a city to live in and only secondarily a city to visit," alderman of Economics Victor Everhardt said. Everhardt said the municipality has also been raising a pot of ten million …

Amsterdam to restrict alcohol sales in Red Light District again this summer
3 years, 9 months ago

Amsterdam to restrict alcohol sales in Red Light District again this summer

NL Times  

The sale of alcohol in supermarkets in the Red Light District will be restricted to combat nuisance caused by tourists, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema announced. With more coronavirus measures being lifted, crowds are expected to return to the Red Light District. In the Red Light District, many streets already have a ban on consuming alcohol. Halsema said on Thursday afternoon …

Amsterdam takes measures against crowds in city center
3 years, 9 months ago

Amsterdam takes measures against crowds in city center

NL Times  

With coronavirus restrictions lifting and more and more people being out and about, the city of Amsterdam is taking extra measures to manage crowds and prevent nuisance in the city center. "Visitors who respect Amsterdam and the people of Amsterdam have always been welcome," the city said in a press release. "We do not ant to go back to what …

Another location for possible Amsterdam 'Erotic Center' announced
3 years, 10 months ago

Another location for possible Amsterdam 'Erotic Center' announced

NL Times  

The city of Amsterdam said this week it would consider the Haven-Stad district as another possible location for a high-rise erotic center that could serve as an alternate location for sex work in the capital. After several years of trying to scale down the number of window brothels in the Red Light District, city leadership announced late last year the …

Amsterdam to move red light district to new ‘erotic centre’ outside the city in tourism overhaul
4 years, 1 month ago

Amsterdam to move red light district to new ‘erotic centre’ outside the city in tourism overhaul

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Amsterdam is to move its red light district to a new “erotic centre” outside the city …

Erotic centre to come in plans to 'reset' Amsterdam inner city
4 years, 1 month ago

Erotic centre to come in plans to 'reset' Amsterdam inner city

Dutch News  

A majority of councillors in Amsterdam will vote for plans to radically change the historic centre, including moving red light windows to an ‘erotic centre’ outside De Wallen. There are more than 80 individual measures in an ‘inner city’ plan, a proposal to move prostitution from the Red Light District to a purpose-built erotic centre elsewhere, and a set of …

Erotic centre to come in plans to 'reset' Amsterdam inner city
4 years, 1 month ago

Erotic centre to come in plans to 'reset' Amsterdam inner city

Dutch News  

A majority of councillors in Amsterdam will vote for plans to radically change the historic centre, including moving red light windows to an ‘erotic centre’ outside De Wallen. There are more than 80 individual measures in an ‘inner city’ plan, a proposal to move prostitution from the Red Light District to a purpose-built erotic centre elsewhere, and a set of …

Amsterdam mayor wants to ban tourists from its cannabis shops
4 years, 2 months ago

Amsterdam mayor wants to ban tourists from its cannabis shops

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The mayor of Amsterdam wants to ban tourists from entering coffee shops in the city that …

Amsterdam Mayor, police want to ban foreign tourists from cannabis coffeeshops
4 years, 2 months ago

Amsterdam Mayor, police want to ban foreign tourists from cannabis coffeeshops

NL Times  

Amsterdam wants to eventually ban foreign tourists from coffeeshops in the city. The Amsterdam collaboration of Mayor Femke Halsema, the district police and district office of the prosecution service have crafted a plan outlining their vision for the future of coffeeshops, with the prevention of tourists from entering them a key piece of the plan, according to a letter they …

Local businesses add to pressure on Amsterdam to clean up sex and drugs reputation
4 years, 5 months ago

Local businesses add to pressure on Amsterdam to clean up sex and drugs reputation

Dutch News  

Eight Amsterdam employers organisations have joined forces in an effort to persuade the city council to radically reform the city’s image as a haven for sex and drugs, adding further pressure on officials to make major changes. In particular, city officials should act to tackle the window brothels in the red light district and to radically change the policy on …

Amsterdam bans sales of alcohol at weekends in busy tourist areas
4 years, 8 months ago

Amsterdam bans sales of alcohol at weekends in busy tourist areas

Dutch News  

Alcohol sales are being restricted at weekends in one of Amsterdam’s busiest tourist areas as part of a package of stricter coronavirus measures in the capital. ‘It is extremely important that people keep their distance from each other, Amsterdammers and international tourists alike, both on the streets and in bars and restaurants,’ said Halsema. ‘A new lockdown is the last …

Amsterdam bans sales of alcohol at weekends in busy tourist areas
4 years, 8 months ago

Amsterdam bans sales of alcohol at weekends in busy tourist areas

Dutch News  

Alcohol sales are being restricted at weekends in one of Amsterdam’s busiest tourist areas as part of a package of stricter coronavirus measures in the capital. ‘It is extremely important that people keep their distance from each other, Amsterdammers and international tourists alike, both on the streets and in bars and restaurants,’ said Halsema. ‘A new lockdown is the last …

Amsterdam halts Red Light District alcohol sales; Better crowd control planned
4 years, 8 months ago

Amsterdam halts Red Light District alcohol sales; Better crowd control planned

NL Times  

Amsterdam is banning the sale of alcohol in shops in the Red Light District over the weekend, in an attempt to better control crowds in the popular area. And day trippers and tourists will be urged to avoid crowds with targeted ads on their social media, the local security region Veiligiheidsregio Amsterdam-Amstelland announced on Thursday. The sale of alcohol in …

Amsterdam’s Red Light District closed due to overcrowding; Street performers banned
4 years, 8 months ago

Amsterdam’s Red Light District closed due to overcrowding; Street performers banned

NL Times  

A portion of Amsterdam's De Wallen neighborhood, home to the city's primary Red Light District, was closed Saturday night after an influx of tourists made the area unmanageable. The Amsterdam-Amstelland public safety office said earlier in the week that when areas become too crowded they would likely forbid more people from entering that space. Buskers forbidden The influx of crowds …

Move prostitution and keep tourists out of cannabis cafes, Amsterdam locals say
4 years, 10 months ago

Move prostitution and keep tourists out of cannabis cafes, Amsterdam locals say

Dutch News  

Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema is due to publish her long-awaited vision for tourism in the Dutch capital this week which will outline how she sees tourism developing post coronavirus. ‘If the coronavirus crisis has made one thing clear it is that Amsterdam’s inner city, which is a Unesco world heritage site, has been turned into an amusement park,’ the organisations …

Amsterdam wants to limit alcohol sales in fight against partying tourists
5 years, 1 month ago

Amsterdam wants to limit alcohol sales in fight against partying tourists

NL Times  

Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema asked the government to come up with new legislation so that the capital can limit the sale of alcohol around entertainment areas. The number of tourists and day trippers visiting Amsterdam is expected to increase from 20 million this year to 32 million in 2030, Halsema said in a letter sent to the city council along …

Amsterdam bans all tours around red light windows from April
5 years, 1 month ago

Amsterdam bans all tours around red light windows from April

Dutch News  

Amsterdam has banned tour guides from taking tourists around red light district windows in all parts of the city from April. All organised tours in the Wallen – the red light district – have been banned from this January, but now the council is implementing a tough set of new rules for tours and a ban on organised guides visiting …

Amsterdam bans all tours around red light windows from April
5 years, 1 month ago

Amsterdam bans all tours around red light windows from April

Dutch News  

Amsterdam has banned tour guides from taking tourists around red light district windows in all parts of the city from April. All organised tours in the Wallen – the red light district – have been banned from this January, but now the council is implementing a tough set of new rules for tours and a ban on organised guides visiting …

Amsterdam to ban all tours of red light district
6 years ago

Amsterdam to ban all tours of red light district

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Netherlands capital is also capping the number of people allowed on guided tours of the city’s medieval centre, which …

Amsterdam will ban Red Light District tours starting in 2020
6 years ago

Amsterdam will ban Red Light District tours starting in 2020

CNN  

CNN — Amsterdam has moved to end one of the city’s most popular travel activities. The city government has announced that it will end tours of the Red Light District in the Netherlands’ capital, citing concerns about people – in this case sex workers – being treated as a tourist attraction. While the new ruling on tours will affect sex …

Amsterdam to ban tours in Red Light District
6 years ago

Amsterdam to ban tours in Red Light District

NL Times  

Amsterdam will ban guided group tours along the window brothels in the Red Light District, the city announced in a press statement. According to the municipality, these free tours have a magnetic effect on the number of group tours, and actively trying to convince passersby to take part in such a tour and then asking them for a contribution afterwards …

Amsterdam plans to move prostitution out of Red Light District; sex workers upset
6 years, 4 months ago

Amsterdam plans to move prostitution out of Red Light District; sex workers upset

NL Times  

Amsterdam coalition parties GroenLinks, D66 and SP want to move prostitution out of the Red Light District by issuing new prostitution permits for areas outside the city center. The growing stream of tourists in the Red Light District cause problems for residents and prostitutes working in window brothels in the area, the parties said, Het Parool reports. The parties stress …

Amsterdam West also wants ban on tourist shops, beer bikes
6 years, 10 months ago

Amsterdam West also wants ban on tourist shops, beer bikes

NL Times  

Amsterdam's ban on new tourist stores and beer bikes in Amsterdam city center, is resulting in more and more tourists flocking to Amsterdam West. Amsterdam West wants to ban new bars and cafes, new tourist shops and beer bikes. Since November, when beer bikes were banned in the city center, the Amsterdam municipality received 128 complaints about beer bikes, 86 …

Amsterdam sex worker-run brothel in trouble year after opening
6 years, 11 months ago

Amsterdam sex worker-run brothel in trouble year after opening

NL Times  

My Red Light, the sex worker-run window brothel that opened in Amsterdam's Red Light District in May last year, is facing financial difficulties. The brothel can't find anyone to rent its rooms over day due to the municipality's strict rules on who can rent the rooms, and strict screenings on sex workers who work there, board member Marcel Heyman said …

Beer bikes banned from Amsterdam city center
7 years, 4 months ago

Beer bikes banned from Amsterdam city center

NL Times  

Beer bikes are no longer allowed in Amsterdam city center. On Tuesday afternoon the court ruled that the city is allowed to ban beer bikes from the city center, and Amsterdam implemented that ban on Wednesday, Het Parool reports. Amsterdam planned to ban beer bikes in January already, but a number of beer bike operators took the matter to court. …

Amsterdam bans new tourist shops from opening in city center
7 years, 5 months ago

Amsterdam bans new tourist shops from opening in city center

NL Times  

In an ongoing effort to reduce the number of tourists in Amsterdam, the municipality decided that no new tourist shops will be allowed to open in Amsterdam Centrum, the city of Amsterdam announced in a press release on Thursday. The increasing number of tourists and day visitors in the city center, goes hand-in-hand with an ever increasing number of shops …

Amsterdam to ban beer bikes in city center from November
7 years, 11 months ago

Amsterdam to ban beer bikes in city center from November

NL Times  

The municipality of Amsterdam plans to ban beer bikes from the city center as of November 1st, Mayor Eberhard van der Laan informed the city council on Monday, Het Parool reports. The municipality announced a beer bike ban in the city center last year, with the intent of implementing it on January 1st. The court ruled that the municipality should …

Before gentrification and Airbnb: Looking back at Amsterdam's red light district in the '90s
8 years, 2 months ago

Before gentrification and Airbnb: Looking back at Amsterdam's red light district in the '90s

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

Amsterdam's 'oldest' cannabis cafe closes because of school rule
8 years, 2 months ago

Amsterdam's 'oldest' cannabis cafe closes because of school rule

Dutch News  

An Amsterdam cannabis cafe or coffeeshop which can trace its roots back to 1973 will open for the last time on Saturday because of city rules preventing the sale of marijuana close to schools. It was named after the Donovan song Mellow Yellow, about smoking banana skins, and was ‘code for the fact you could buy weed there,’ founder Wernard …

Light Up! Know All About the Pot Paradise, Amsterdam
8 years, 3 months ago

Light Up! Know All About the Pot Paradise, Amsterdam

The Quint  

For those that want to go smoke free, there’s space cakes. Most, often think, these tightly packed, tiny cakes couldn't possibly do much harm in comparison to a big, bad bong. If you’ve smoked or eaten just the right amount, taking a stroll in Vondelpark close to this coffee shop is rather relaxing. Again, not a tourist hotspot, but the …

New plan sees Amsterdam turn hookers into entrepreneurs
10 years, 1 month ago

New plan sees Amsterdam turn hookers into entrepreneurs

NL Times  

A new plan approved by Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan and the city’s aldermen will try to strip the seediness from the Dutch capital’s famed prostitution business by making sex workers more like entrepreneurs, but the plan could turn the city into a brothel owner. The comments go on to say that the “self‐managed prostitution businesses aligns with this …

Amsterdam phasing out some coffee shops
11 years, 4 months ago

Amsterdam phasing out some coffee shops

NL Times  

Amsterdam is phasing out a number of its coffee-shops, choosing education over a controversial business that has been a major tourist draw. The City Council said on Friday that it is taking into consideration the owners of 31 shops that have to close because they are in too close proximity to schools. The city has some 200 coffee shops, where …

Two-thirds of Dutch cannabis cafes still admit tourists: survey
11 years, 10 months ago

Two-thirds of Dutch cannabis cafes still admit tourists: survey

Dutch News  

Two-thirds of the country’s 478 cannabis cafes continue to sell marijuana to tourists, despite the ban implemented at the beginning of this year, according to research published by Nos television. In total 111 cafes in 33 cities – including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague – took part in the survey, devised by Epicurus, a foundation launched by coffee shop …

Many towns have no plans to ban tourists from cannabis cafes
12 years, 2 months ago

Many towns have no plans to ban tourists from cannabis cafes

Dutch News  

Tourists will not be banned from a majority of the Netherlands’ cannabis cafes, despite new residency requirements which came into effect on January 1, according to a survey by Nos television. Amsterdam Amsterdam’s mayor Eberhard van der Laan has already said the Dutch capital will not monitor whether or not tourists are allowed in the city’s coffee shops. At least …

Many towns have no plans to ban tourists from cannabis cafes
12 years, 2 months ago

Many towns have no plans to ban tourists from cannabis cafes

Dutch News  

Tourists will not be banned from a majority of the Netherlands’ cannabis cafes, despite new residency requirements which came into effect on January 1, according to a survey by Nos television. Amsterdam Amsterdam’s mayor Eberhard van der Laan has already said the Dutch capital will not monitor whether or not tourists are allowed in the city’s coffee shops. At least …

Amsterdam's cannabis cafes will remain open to tourists, city's mayor says
12 years, 4 months ago

Amsterdam's cannabis cafes will remain open to tourists, city's mayor says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Tourists visiting Amsterdam will not …

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