Source: Dutch Daily News
15 december 2010
The new Dutch government decision to ban foreigners from buying cannabis in Dutch cannabis coffee shops will have a negative impact on foreign tourism to the Netherlands. “And especially to Amsterdam, according to the Dutch Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC).
The organization is currently doing an immediate investigation into the economic impact and image of the capital.
A quarter of the tourists also visit a coffee shop, while one in ten especially come to Amsterdam to visit coffee shops. According to head of the largest Dutch tour operator TUI, the decision would clearly make an negative impact for Amsterdam.
“The coffee shops belong to our culture”. Like the Red light district. It is a huge tourist attraction for the city. “That will really hit the city bad. Also many young foreigners after their first visit will not return at an older age when they have more money.
The Netherlands has one of Europe’s most liberal soft drug policies and its coffee shops are a popular tourist attraction, especially in Amsterdam and border cities near Belgium and Germany.
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