Amsterdam Wants Drunken Tourists to Stop Visiting

Image: Red light district in Amsterdam (Photo via Lauren Bowman)
Image: Red light district in Amsterdam (Photo via Lauren Bowman)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 12:10 PM ET, Sat April 1, 2023

Please don’t come here.

Stay home.

That’s what Dutch officials are telling British tourists who like to imbibe about coming to Amsterdam.

In a startling new television ad campaign, Amsterdam is telling drunken British tourists not to come to the city. In one commercial, a man is shown breaking bottles and windows and later at the end of the commercial is arrested, handcuffed and booked by police.

The words “Stay Away” appear at the end of the commercial, and the man is seen in the background in an interrogation room after being arrested. For dramatic effect, the phrase appears in big red letters at the end of the commercial.

Talk about getting a message across.

Despite its rich historical background, Amsterdam is known as something of a wild city. Prostitution, for instance, is legal in the city, although it is controlled and regulated.

“Visitors remain welcome, but not if they misbehave and are a nuisance,” says Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Sofyan Mbaryu.

It's just the latest move from the popular tourist destination seeking to change its image. Earlier this year, Amsterdam big changes were coming to the red light district


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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