Amsterdam Cautious Over Return To Normality And Consider Changing The “Type” Of Tourists It Attracts
Amsterdams hotel industry has been crushed due to the current pandemic with well over three quarters of it’s business drying up almost overnight. Amsterdam Mayor Fenke Halsema has further frustrated those in the hotel industry by putting out a stark warning to be “extremely cautious” about ramping up tourism.
It would be much harder for social distancing to to be adhered to in light of the millions of visitors that frequent Amsterdam each year returning.
She was quoted as saying:
“I hear you talking about international tourism, and I know that there are 55,000 hotel beds waiting for guests, too,”
“But in the coming time we need to be extremely cautious about stimulating regional, national and international traffic. If we do this excessively, we run the risk that Amsterdam becomes the fireplace for a second wave [of infection].
People eating a meal around a table
Some travel and tourism experts such as Geerte Udo (director of Amsterdam&Partners), have come out and said the city only wants the “right” tourists in future.
The red light district and cannabis cafes have a huge sway in tourism numbers for the city and some officials are probing how to dissuade this particular branch of tourism.
No procedures are currently in place but with such a long time to consider how the tourism industry works whilst the pandemic is ongoing, it’s as good a time as any for all countries to reconsider their position and strategies in regards to welcoming tourists.
