Amsterdam has long been known as one of Europe’s stag party capitals with many Britons travelling to enjoy one of the city’s famous coffee shops.
However, a new campaign launched by city officials is aiming to deter partying Brits from travelling to the Dutch capital.
British tourists who google common searches such as ‘Amsterdam red light district’ or ‘Amsterdam stag party’ will be directed to a new quiz via Google Ads.
The quiz asks tourists why they’re visiting the city and what they intend to do while they’re there via a series of multiple choice questions.
Tourists are asked, “What time would you like to go out until?”. If they select 5am, the quiz warns them that bars in the city’s old centre now close at 2am.
They’re also asked whether they’d like to take part in a pub crawl or do a guided tour of Amsterdam’s red light district.
Tourists are also asked whether they’d like to “try or buy” cocaine while in Amsterdam and whether they want to explore the city with “a spliff in their hand”.
If they select yes to any of these questions, they’re warned that these activities are banned in Amsterdam.
Sofyan Mbarki, deputy mayor of Amsterdam, told a council meeting: “We are doing things a bit differently.
“The website needs to debunk associations that party tourists have about letting loose in Amsterdam, for example, with questions like: ‘What famous Dutch products would you like to try? Cocaine?’”
The number of people visiting Amsterdam rose by 21 percent last year despite efforts to deter tourists. The city now has one of Europe’s priciest tourist taxes.
