Amsterdam is banning 167 addresses from becoming tacky tourist shops (thank god!)

The Dutch capital has made the remarkable move to ban over 150 locations from operating as tourist shops in the city centre in a bid to combat overtourism.

Weed paraphernalia? Nee. Mass-produced clog magnets? Nup. A t-shirt that says “Good guys go to heaven, but bad boys go to Amsterdam”? No, no, no.

The owners of 167 properties in Amsterdam’s historic centre will no longer be able to transform their retail spaces into souvenir shops, sex shops, mini supermarkets, smart shops, money exchange offices, ATMs or food shops, says the city council.

Amsterdammers, pleeease return to the city

The council hopes that the decision will make the Amsterdam city center more attractive to people who live in Amsterdam.

It goes hand-in-hand with a 2017 decision to ban new tourist shops from opening in the historic centre.

Doei Felicia

However, the shops affected by the decision won’t have to suddenly close their doors.

Instead, the affected addresses are either not just a tourist shop (e.g. a souvenir shop combined with something else) or are empty. It is possible to repurpose them as shops with greater appeal to actual Amsterdammers such as bookshops or clothing stores.

(We still think there are way too many opportunities to buy crappy stroopwafels for an inflated price in the city, but okay.)

The ongoing plan to bid farewell to weed, beer, and drug tourism

Getting rid of tourist shops isn’t enough for a party destination like Amsterdam.

A complete ban on the sale of cannabis to people who don’t live in the Netherlands was already proposed this year by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema.

Meanwhile, the introduction of mandatory registration for holiday rental properties means that Airbnb has already lost three-quarters of its listings in Amsterdam.

What do you think of this plan to reduce party tourists in Amsterdam? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: jarino/Depositphotos

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺https://gallivantations.com
Sam has over six years experience writing about life in the Netherlands and leads the content team at DutchReview. She originally came to the Netherlands to study in 2016 and now holds a BA (Hons.) in Arts, a BA (Hons) in Journalism, and (almost) a Masters in Teaching. She loves to write about settling into life in the Netherlands, her city of Utrecht, learning Dutch, and jobs in the Netherlands — and she still can’t jump on the back of a moving bike (she's learning!).

5 COMMENTS

  1. This is great news! Now Amsterdam needs to close more streets in the center of the city to automobile traffic. And not allow heavy trucks that are destroying old bridges and canal banks.

  2. Walking throughout the streets of downtown Amsterdam on a Sunday morning, you can have a feel of how horrible it is. Amsterdam has proven in various neighbourhoods to have made a huge improvement the city and lives of its inhabitants. Way to go Mrs Halsema! I believe a great opportunity has come to this area of our city! But please, keep purchasing prices reasonable for Amsterdamers!

  3. Well fenke Hasema keep up the good work make sure that u put up a sign which says no tourists allowed in Amsterdam because that is what u will get.tourists go to Amsterdam for reasons to buy souvenirs because your Brains are between your Legsu have not got a clue close down all the food shops and starve people that is a great move by u money will go down please make sure that u go after the Amsterdam residents for the money 💰 they better surport the shops otherwise u have no revenue coming in no tourists either could not happen to a nicer person u deserve all u get tourists will go to other countries Looks like u will go Bustsmart move u ever made

  4. I love Amsterdam but if there is not going to be some souvenir shops where you can buy items from Amsterdam then it will not attract tourists
    I think it’s a bad idea 😡😡😡😡

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