'On vacation from morals': Amsterdam mayor says tourists coming for sex, drugs not welcome
India Today
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said she welcomes tourists who “come for the beauty of our city". What she, and several other political leaders, have a problem with is tourists who display a particular “form of behaviour”.
Beautiful canals, picturesque streets and great museums -- Amsterdam has long been a favourite destination for those with wandering feet. But there’s a reason why the City of Canals is sometimes referred to as the City of Sin -- a vibrant red-light district.
Prostitution is legal in Amsterdam, weed is decriminalised and both are a great source of revenue. But that didn’t stop the city’s mayor from giving the stink eye to vacationers who come seeking sex and drugs.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema emphasised that she loves tourists and welcomes those who “come for the beauty of our city, for our museums or for our night culture”. What she, and several other political leaders, have a problem with is tourists who display a particular “form of behaviour”.
“What we do not welcome is people who come here on a vacation from morals. They express a form of behavior they would not express at home. People coming here to lose their morals is a problem for us,” she said.
READ | World’s most powerful passports 2022 list is out. India’s rank is
Acknowledging that tourism is an important part of the Netherlands’ economy, Halsema said the increasing influx of tourists and expats to the Dutch capital is making things more expensive and driving up the cost of living.
She also stated that Amsterdam can accommodate only so many non-residents, and claimed that locals are becoming estranged because of the growing numbers of tourists taking over parts of the city.
