Amsterdam has long been a popular spot for tourists, but not always for the right reasons. People have been coming here for years to take advantage of the laws around buying weed and sex work, but Amsterdam is trying to change its image.
This year there’s been some serious talk about banning non-residents from buying weed in the city and now more changes are on the way. 167 properties in Amsterdam’s historic city centre will soon be banned from certain things aimed at tourists.
So, this part of the city filled with sex shops, shops selling overpriced grinders, socks with shit weed leaves on them and all sorts of other tacky items will look completely different. These shops won’t have to close their doors but they will have to change what they’re selling.
It’s all aimed at making Amsterdam’s city centre more attractive to the people who actually live here, and given that this past couple of years has seen a huge drop in tourism it seems like a sensible goal. If you look past the gaudy shop fronts you can admire the amazing architecture and history of this beautiful city, and it will always attract tourists because of that.