The Mayor and Aldermen of Amsterdam will take measures to limit the number of tourists. The city council wants to tackle more nuisance bachelor parties and organized pub crawls, limit the number of river cruises and bring forward the closing times of catering establishments and window prostitution in the Red Light District.

Furthermore, the council has a smoking ban in certain parts of the city centre. There will also be a discouragement campaign for foreign visitors who, according to the council, “want to go wild” in Amsterdam. That campaign should start next year.

Alderman Sofyan Mbarki of Economic Affairs broadcast his plans this afternoon, writes NH News/AT5. The city council has yet to decide.

The municipality determined that additional measures must be taken if the expected number of overnight stays in the city exceeds 18 million this year. That number may be reached this year and from 2024 on average more than 20 million visitors are expected.

“If we love the city, we must take action now. A lot has been done in recent years, but we still have to start growing in the early years,” Mbarki writes in a letter to the municipality. “Amsterdam is a metropolis and that includes bustle and liveliness, but in order to keep our city livable, we now have to opt for a start instead of irresponsible growth.”

To tackle the nuisance in the Red Light District, the city council wants to tighten the closing times on weekend nights. This is done at the request of the residents.

Catering establishments must then close at 02:00, with no new visitors being admitted from 01:00. Window prostitution should close at 3am. According to alderman Mbarki, residents get rust earlier on weekends.