Amsterdam's 'Stay Away' campaign for British party tourists lacks impact, says mayor

The marketing campaign in Amsterdam, targeting young British tourists with a message to "stay away" if they are only coming for a "messy" weekend, has not yielded significant results so far, according to Mayor Femke Halsema and Alderman Sofyan Mbarki in a letter to the city council. The campaign is set to enter its second phase in early 2024, expanding to other EU countries.

The campaign, launched in March this year, currently geo-targets young British men aged between 18 to 35 years old with ads being triggered if they search terms like "stag party Amsterdam" or "cheap hotel Amsterdam" online. These include videos warning visitors coming to Amsterdam for a "messy" weekend that they might face arrest, a criminal record, or hospitalization.

The campaign was launched in a bid to reduce the nuisance caused by tourists. It was met with skepticism by both locals and tourists, who expressed doubts about its impact at the time of the launch.

On Tuesday, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema and Alderman Sofyan Mbarki, responsible for economic affairs and addressing issues in the inner city, published their first evaluation of the campaign.

The videos were distributed in April, May and June and shown 3.3 million times. “The campaign results indicate that the approach of the campaign does partially adjust the image of the city, but it has not yet resulted in a direct decrease in the city's appeal to the party tourist from the UK,” they wrote.

The first evaluation shows that the campaign helped raise the issue of over-tourism and garnered attention both at the national and international level. It is also being followed with great interest in several European cities. “Never before has there been a campaign that clearly shows that a certain type of visit is undesirable,” they wrote in the letter.

However, the evaluation also shows that a majority of the target group appears to be mostly unaware of the rules and desired behaviors in the city center, such as the alcohol and blow ban, the early closing times of the catering industry and the ban on urinating in public. "In the further development of the campaign, we are looking at whether we can make the campaign messages more specific."

It was also noted that the city remains very attractive among the target group, whether they have seen the campaign or not. “What kind of city do we want to be? And how is that perceived abroad? Currently, these images often don't align, and adjusting them will take time,” they admitted.

“Building a new image for the city does not happen overnight and goes hand in hand with actual changes in the city. Unlike ten years ago, we now look at culture, diversity, the local economy, international companies, and the negative consequences of over-tourism in new ways. In the coming years, the focus will be on further developing and promoting a realistic and appealing image of the city and its residents,” they wrote.

The second phase of the campaign will begin in early 2024. The current videos will no longer return, but the discouragement campaign will be further developed. Research will be conducted on the most effective campaign message and the campaign will expand to countries in the European Union, including the Netherlands.

In addition, a campaign is being launched with amsterdam&partners in which a “diverse image of Amsterdam” is shown to visitors. Another campaign will start in early 2024 and will target residents and businesses.