Drunkenness and public urination have caused Amsterdam's government to put its foot down.
Now, tourists who disturb the order in the Dutch city face hefty fines.
Amsterdam's reputation as one of the world's top party cities is becoming increasingly strained for locals. This spring, the city launched the "Enjoy & Respect" campaign - in other words: party hard, but behave civilly.
– It's only a minority, but a very noisy minority, who disturb people, says tourism director Frans van der Avert to the online newspaper Dutch News.
The problem is being narrowed down to groups of 18-34 year-old men who go on rowdy pub crawls or hold stag parties. Now the authorities have introduced a fine of up to 140 euros (1,450 kronor) for anyone who urinates in the streets or squares or is excessively loud in public places. It costs the same amount to throw away garbage in places other than trash cans.
Sharpens the tone
Other European cities, such as Barcelona, Venice and Rome, have also tightened their grip on tourists who cannot behave. In Rome, it is now forbidden to climb on monuments and eat or drink near the Eternal City's historic fountains. In Mallorca, local protest organizations are demanding that the authorities stop Swedes, Britons and Germans from destroying the island.
”"Residents cannot live side by side with this type of cheap tourism where everything is allowed. This is not quality tourism, this is overexploiting our resources at a cheap price," says a letter signed by over 11,000 people.
Without provision
For authorities in many of the hardest-hit tourist destinations, restrictions on tourism represent a balancing act. It is a tough decision to cut back on an industry that is so important to the economy and people's livelihoods.
This spring, for example, Philippine authorities closed the beach paradise of Boracay to tourists. The island is to be cleaned up by the end of October and stricter regulations on new construction and business operations will be introduced. The decision has been criticized because a large part of Boracay's 17,000 residents are now without livelihoods.
Source: TT
