(CNN) – When international tourists finally return to the historic streets of Amsterdam, one of the city’s most important attractions may be off limits.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema has proposed a new policy that prohibits foreign visitors from gaining access to the coffee shops in the city.
There are 166 cannabis coffee shops in Amsterdam, which make up almost 30% of the Dutch coffee shops.
In a letter to councilors on January 8, Halsema proposed that the “resident criterion” be introduced – a policy that only allows locals to use coffee shops – with the aim of making tourism in the city manageable and the supply chain of coffee shops to control. .
Halsema will discuss the measures with the Amsterdam City Council later this month.
In line with the closing measures of Covid-19, non-essential stores, including coffee shops, are currently closed in Amsterdam, although coffee shops can pick up and deliver.
Cannabis in the Netherlands
Talks surrounding restricting access to Amsterdam coffee shops are not new.
Jasper Juinen / Getty Images / File
Different municipalities in the Netherlands have different coffee shop rules, and discussions about the ban on everyone except Dutch residents are not new.
Today, this rule still exists in Maastricht, in the south of the country.
To contribute to the slightly confusing setup, it is legal in the Netherlands to buy cannabis legally, but the production of weed remains illegal.
In July 2019, Halsema wrote to councilors that the city’s coffee shops “could put the quality of life in the city center under pressure.”
In this survey, which is referred to in Halsema’s most recent correspondence, more than half of the respondents said that they prefer to visit the Dutch capital because they want to experience a marijuana café.
The results were that 34% indicated that they would come to Amsterdam less often if they could not visit coffee shops, and 11% said that they would not come at all.
The survey also looked at whether the addition of an entry fee for visits to the Wallen / Singel area – the medieval city center that forms the Red Light District – would reduce the number of tourists.
However, the report suggested that the coffee shops in the city have a stronger appeal to international tourists than the Red Light District.
Only 1% of respondents cite window prostitution as the main reason for their visit, while 72% said they visited a coffee shop during their visit to Amsterdam.
Concerns about drug trafficking
In her recent letter, Falsema also expressed concern about the supply chain of coffee shops in the city.
Police, she added, are concerned about the links with the hard drug trade.
The letter of 8 January sets out three steps to bring about a new policy – the focus on local regulation of the cannabis market through the establishment of an Amsterdam coffee shop, which limits the restriction of coffee shops on chains and prevents visitors from outside the Netherlands. to enter coffee shops.
Falsema notes that a side effect of these new measures could be a shift to the illegal cannabis market, but she expects it to be temporary.
Continued appeal from Amsterdam
Walking and cycling through the city of Amsterdam remains one of the most important drawers for visitors.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images
While the tourist survey of Amsterdam in 2019 suggested that coffee shops have a strong appeal to visitors, respondents said that the coffee shops, the Red Light District or even the museums and cultural attractions are the most common reason to visit Amsterdam.
Instead, visitors advocated the reasonably healthy appeal of walking around the city.
“I do not think the ban on cannabis will reduce tourism,” Claydon said. “The city is also known for its culture and brilliant aesthetics.”