Coffee shops in Amsterdam.
Photographer: Ramon Van Flyemen / AFP / Getty Images
Photographer: Ramon Van Flyemen / AFP / Getty Images
In an attempt to clean up its image, Amsterdam wants to limit an important tourist attraction: the coffee shops.
Only Dutch residents should be allowed to enter the cannabis traders at the suggestion of Mayor Femke Halsema. The plan, backed by local law enforcement and prosecutors, aims to tackle the flood of hard drugs and organized crime linked to the marijuana trade.
“The cannabis market is too big and overheated,” said Halsema in response by email. “I want to reduce the cannabis market and make it manageable. The residence requirement is far-reaching, but I see no alternative. “
Halsema submitted the plan to the municipality of Amsterdam on Friday, triggering a political debate, including discussions about a transition agreement with retailers. She expects the policy to take effect next year at the earliest.
The initiative is Amsterdam’s latest move to actively reduce the flow of visitors and improve the quality of life for residents. Crowds have flocked to the city since cheaper flights have made the historic center a popular weekend destination.
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Before the coronavirus shut down, the famous red light district, marijuana shops and picturesque canals drew more than 1 million visitors per month – more than the permanent population.
“Coffee shops, especially in the center, largely run on tourists,” said Halsema. “The increase in tourism has only increased demand”, which led to hard drug crime.
While the pandemic stagnation of tourism has hit the city budget, Amsterdam’s first female mayor is determined to reshape the sector once the crisis recedes. If you are banned from the freewheeling marijuana trade, a large number of revelers could be knocked out.
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A visit to a coffee shop was a “very important” reason for 57% of foreign visitors to the red-light district, according to research commissioned by the city government.
Amsterdam has 166 coffee shops, and most wouldn’t be needed if the plan were in place. According to the government study, local demand for cannabis would support only 68.
Similar restrictions have already been applied in Maastricht and Den Bosch, which responded to coffee shops that were overloaded by visitors from Germany, France and Belgium. The efforts are backed by a 2013 Dutch law aimed at promoting the local cannabis market and reducing drug tourism.
Halsema expects to expect support from the business community, with many entrepreneurs in the city center no longer in favor of Amsterdam’s reputation for unrestricted access to sex and drugs.
“We can be an open, hospitable and tolerant city, but also a city that makes life difficult for criminals and slows down mass tourism,” she said.