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Amsterdam is considering banning tourists from its famous coffee shops

Feb. 19, 2020
3 min read
Amsterdam is considering banning tourists from its famous coffee shops
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Talk about leaving things high and dry.

Amsterdam is considering banning tourists from entering its famous coffee shops, CNN reports. The stores, small shops where you can purchase recreational cannabis, are known for being favorites of locals and tourists alike.

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Tourists love them so much that the city has been combating some significant overtourism in the past few years. Within the last 15 months, Amsterdam has banned tours of its famous Red Light District, removed one of its most famous photo ops, has closed the last of its iconic floating florists and even stopped promoting tourism in the city altogether.

This move is just the latest in a string of crackdowns and follows in the footsteps of a survey Mayor Femke Halsema commissioned back in August. 1,100 tourists between the ages of 18 and 35 were questioned in the survey, and all of them were visiting Amsterdam's Red Light District.

It asked young tourists their primary reason for wanting to visit Amsterdam. Their response? To experience a cannabis cafe.

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In fact, 57% of survey respondents said coffee shops are an important reason for why they visited the Dutch capital, and another 34% said they'd come less often if they're not able to visit the coffee shops. As per CNN, 11% of respondents claimed they wouldn't visit at all.

Back in 2014, The Grasshopper, one of the city's most famous spots, lost its license to sell cannabis, hash or any related products.

This move follows a series of measures across Europe designed to prevent tourists from behaving badly. Earlier this year, Mallorca and Ibiza cracked down on pub crawls, happy hour and party boats. This past summer, Rome enforced new laws aimed at tourists that also prohibited pub crawls, among other restrictions. Back in 2018, Venice considered a nightly ban on public alcohol consumption after 7 p.m. and, more recently, two tourists were fined more than $6,000 for skinny-dipping in a canal.

Related: These are the best travel credit cards for 2020

Crackdown or no crackdown, Amsterdam is a fantastic place to visit — just be aware of making these 12 common mistakes while you're there.

Featured image by ullstein bild via Getty Images

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6X6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
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    Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.

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Why We Chose It

The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year.

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  • Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.
  • Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
  • 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
  • 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
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