Amsterdam doubles-down on Stay Away campaign with website to deter bad tourists
The city of Amsterdam is doubling down on its “Stay Away” campaign to deter party tourists with an online quiz. With questions like “Would you like to explore the city with a spliff/joint in your hand?” and “What famous Dutch products would you like to try? Cocaine?” the city hopes to point out that many of the party activities it is famous four are actually against the rules.
The website, which is already available in English and will soon launch in Italian, Spanish, and France, is a follow-up to the often criticized “Stay Away” campaign, which featured videos of everything that could go wrong while partying in Amsterdam.
“We are doing things a bit differently,” alderman Sofyan Mbarki told the city council this week. “Future tourists who google for ‘Amsterdam coffee shop,’ ‘Amsterdam red light district,’ and ‘Amsterdam stag do’ will come to this quiz via Google.” According to him, the quiz will “debunk associations that party tourists have about letting loose in Amsterdam.”
Anyone who clicks too many of the wrong answers in the quiz will get the response: “Too bad... Considering your preferences, Amsterdam may not offer the experience you’re looking for.”
According to Parool, the site cost at least 165,000 euros to develop and keep up and running. The Ministry of Justice and Security contributed 85,000 euros from that amount as part of its budget to fight drug tourism. The rest came out of the city’s own pocket.
The city council isn’t unanimously behind the newest in a line of measures to decrease tourist pressure on the overcrowded city center. SP councilor Erik Bobbeldijk pointed out that the original Stay Away campaign didn’t have much effect. “Some people have become more aware, but everyone is still coming. Should we spend money on that again?” D66, VVD, and PvdD also had questions about that.
CDA councilor Rogier Havelaar thinks the city is sending mixed messages. “A the same time, we are hitting the international press with the biggest brothel in Europe and legalizing cocaine,” the Christian Democrat said. “How does this fit in the branding campaign?”
Local businesses are also somewhat skeptical. “The city of Amsterdam appears to want to scare away potential visitors that are willing to fill out surveys,” Maarten Bruinsma of Amsterdam Gastvrij, the organization for local B&B owners, said.
Other measures Amsterdam has taken to reduce crowds in the Red Light District include earlier closing hours for bars, banning smoking cannabis on the streets in the district, and hiking tourist tax.
