(CNN) – When international tourists finally return to Amsterdam’s canal-lined historic streets, one of the city’s main attractions may be off-limits.
Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema has proposed a new policy to deny foreign visitors access to the city’s coffee shops.
There are 166 cannabis coffee shops in Amsterdam, accounting for almost 30% of the Dutch coffee shops.
In a January 8 letter to councilors, Halsema suggested introducing the ‘resident criterion’ – a policy that allows only locals to use coffee shops – with the aim of making tourism in the city more manageable and controlling the coffee shop supply chain . .
Halsema will discuss the measures later this month with the municipality of Amsterdam.
In accordance with Covid-19’s lockdown measures, non-essential stores, including coffee shops, are currently closed in Amsterdam, although coffee shops can pick up and deliver.
Cannabis in the Netherlands
Talks about restricting access to coffee shops in Amsterdam are nothing new.
Jasper Juinen / Getty Images / File
Different municipalities in the Netherlands have different coffee shop rules and discussions about banning everyone except the Dutch are not new.
Today this rule still exists in Maastricht, in the south of the country.
To add to the somewhat confusing setup, purchasing cannabis in a coffee shop is legal in the Netherlands, but cannabis production remains illegal.
In July 2019, Halsema wrote to councilors that the city’s coffee shops “can put pressure on the quality of life in the city center”.
In this study, referenced in Halsema’s most recent correspondence, more than half of those surveyed said they chose to visit the Dutch capital because they wanted to experience a cannabis café.
The results were that 34% said they would come to Amsterdam less often if they couldn’t visit coffee shops, and 11% said they wouldn’t come at all.
The study also examined whether adding an entrance fee for visits to the Red Light District / Singel areas – the medieval city center that makes up the Red Light District – would reduce the number of tourists.
But the report suggested that the city’s coffee shops are more attractive to international tourists than the Red Light District.
Only 1% of those surveyed cited window prostitution as the main reason for their visit, while 72% said they had visited a coffee shop during their stay in Amsterdam.
Concerns about drug trafficking
In her recent letter, Falsema also pointed out concerns about the supply chain of the city’s coffee shops.
Police, she added, are concerned about links to the hard drug trade.
The letter of January 8 sets out three steps to proceed with a new policy – aimed at local regulation of the cannabis market by establishing an Amsterdam coffee shop brand, limiting the possibility for coffee shops to become chains and visitors from outside the Netherlands. from entering coffee shops.
Falsema notes that a side effect of these new measures could be a shift to the illegal cannabis market, but expects this to be temporary.
Constant call from Amsterdam
Walking and cycling through the city of Amsterdam remains one of the main attractions for visitors.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images
While the 2019 Amsterdam tourist survey suggested that coffee shops are a major draw for visitors, those surveyed said that the most common reason to visit Amsterdam is not the city’s coffee shops, the Red Light District or even the city’s museums and cultural attractions.
Instead, visitors favored the pretty wholesome appeal of walking or cycling through the city.
“I don’t think banning cannabis would decimate tourism,” said Claydon. “The city is also known for its culture and beautiful aesthetics.”