Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Amsterdam has a new Ad campaign telling young Brits looking for a messy night out to stay away

228 replies

OldHouseLover · 29/03/2023 18:33

It's pretty bad when there had to be an actual ad campaign?

Do you think it's fair that only British people are targeted?

OP posts:
phoenixrosehere · 31/03/2023 22:04

MarshaBradyo · 31/03/2023 21:01

It’s interesting people say us and how embarrassing

It’s meant to be aimed at a particular age group and sex. I can’t say I feel any responsibility for those people.

Also I wonder if it will just mean everyone else from U.K. is more likely to stay away but not the target group

Usually tourism images are pretty rather than prison cell

It’s meant to be aimed at a particular age group and sex. I can’t say I feel any responsibility for those people.

Same. I see it as a crackdown on behaviour that shouldn’t be allowed or tolerated in the first place anywhere tbh.

ListenToTheFacts · 01/04/2023 07:34

MarshaBradyo · 31/03/2023 21:01

It’s interesting people say us and how embarrassing

It’s meant to be aimed at a particular age group and sex. I can’t say I feel any responsibility for those people.

Also I wonder if it will just mean everyone else from U.K. is more likely to stay away but not the target group

Usually tourism images are pretty rather than prison cell

Yes Marsha it will put people off - the type of people they want to encourage.

The target group will still go because where else can they get a quick flight to a place that offers the legalised buying of drugs and a woman's body.

Bloody ridiculous.

AgentJohnson · 01/04/2023 09:03

She also said that in Holland if you drink more than 3 units a week you are classed as an alcoholic.

Yeah right! They sell beer by the crate in the supermarket FFS!

The red light district are a few streets in the city centre but I sympathise with anybody living in the centre of Amsterdam. I lived a 20 minute walk from Central station and it was like a different world.

JocelynBurnell · 01/04/2023 23:34

thewooster · 31/03/2023 08:24

I think you hit a valid point there - who has the money to go abroad? ie Brits do. I saw on BBC news that already this year there's a record number of flights booked (obviously not all Amsterdam!)

Lots of money to throw around and if the Dutch decide to put a stop to (no matter what people say) the main draw to Amsterdam, think of the impact.

I don't agree with buying sex and legalising drugs and would prefer the Netherlands stop offering these services, but they do. They offer and they get the idiots with money galore to spend.

What happens then? The prostitutes and drug cafes income is severely down. They are legitimate services in The Netherlands so they will complain and demand their punters back. Or will the area close down ie lots of boarded up windows/cafes.

Maybe a good thing eh!

Show quote history

There won't be lots of boarded up windows in Amsterdam.

I think you are confusing the Amsterdam economy with the economy in many parts of the UK. Since Brexit, Amsterdam has displaced London as Europe’s main centre for share trading as more than €8bn a day of EU share dealing was forced back into the bloc.

Tourism is booming in Amsterdam but young British males are proving a problem. Discouraging these will prove better for tourism in the city in the long run.

didsburymanchester · 01/04/2023 23:58

Xrays · 30/03/2023 07:09

Have to wonder if this is some genius reverse psychology campaign… of course young brits are going to want to go if people tell them not to!

Yes lol

MsJD · 02/04/2023 00:10

Dont they have animal brothels in Germany? or is that Denmark, I forget.

Iflyaway · 02/04/2023 00:12

They built the city on sex and drugs

LOL. In 2025 they'll be celebrating the 750th birthday of the city.

Iflyaway · 02/04/2023 00:21

It wasn't until the dead bodies of addicts starting drifting along canals into wealthy areas that anything was ever acknowledged, and then mostly what happened is richer people moved away from being downstream where the bodies keep ending up

This is laughable. And it's NOT TRUE.

Most bodies found in canals are actually stupid drunk tourists. Mostly Brits I might add.

Iflyaway · 02/04/2023 00:26

there's prostitution literally everywhere

Don't be fucking ridiculous.

I live here.

It was worse when I lived in England, having kerb crawlers slide by walking home.

mathanxiety · 02/04/2023 00:26

I saw on BBC news that already this year there's a record number of flights booked (obviously not all Amsterdam!)

@thewooster - if you live in continental Europe, especially in nearby countries, you might not need to fly to Amsterdam, whereas your option when it comes to getting out of Britain for a wild weekend and back in time for work again on Monday is flying.

Sheer number of flights booked out of Britain doesn't mean only Brits are visiting European cities.

Tg2023 · 02/04/2023 01:01

AdaHopper · 31/03/2023 07:52

Amsterdam doesn't have the reputation described here outside of the UK. I live in Belgium and we see Amsterdam as a beautiful city with a lot of culture. In fact my DD15's class had a schooltrip to Amsterdam a few weeks ago.

We have red light districts too and the government tries to ensure people are treated well and have full access to health services. The trafficked sex slaves are not usually in windows.....

So it is the UK attitude that has created this reputation....

And again the UK's fault because of the representation of Amsterdam 🤣🤣🤣 ffs ok than! Obviously everything is the UK's fault 😅

Tg2023 · 02/04/2023 01:06

Iflyaway · 02/04/2023 00:26

there's prostitution literally everywhere

Don't be fucking ridiculous.

I live here.

It was worse when I lived in England, having kerb crawlers slide by walking home.

Why you lying?
Do you really think we'd believe you seen more prostitutes and kerb crawlers in the UK than Amsterdam?

They don't even need to kerb crawl there, it's legal to rape women & pay for it!
Every window with a woman in you can bet your bottom dollar a man owns said business. (Pimp springs to mind)

Iflyaway · 02/04/2023 01:27

@Tg2023

^Why you lying?
Do you really think we'd believe you seen more prostitutes and kerb crawlers in the UK than Amsterdam?^

I'm not lying. We don't have kerb crawlers in Amsterdam. Thank fuck!

thewooster · 02/04/2023 07:32

mathanxiety · 02/04/2023 00:26

I saw on BBC news that already this year there's a record number of flights booked (obviously not all Amsterdam!)

@thewooster - if you live in continental Europe, especially in nearby countries, you might not need to fly to Amsterdam, whereas your option when it comes to getting out of Britain for a wild weekend and back in time for work again on Monday is flying.

Sheer number of flights booked out of Britain doesn't mean only Brits are visiting European cities.

I was replying to a previous poster who said who has the money for trips to Amsterdam. Brits do. Lots of them.

And yes I agree with you, I bet there are loads of continentals in Amsterdam and I bet they are a problem too which the Dutch will admit in due course.

Devoutspoken · 02/04/2023 07:36

Adahopper, 'the trafficked sex slaves are not usually in the windows', just the happy hookers, all delighted to be there?

thewooster · 02/04/2023 07:44

JocelynBurnell · 01/04/2023 23:34

There won't be lots of boarded up windows in Amsterdam.

I think you are confusing the Amsterdam economy with the economy in many parts of the UK. Since Brexit, Amsterdam has displaced London as Europe’s main centre for share trading as more than €8bn a day of EU share dealing was forced back into the bloc.

Tourism is booming in Amsterdam but young British males are proving a problem. Discouraging these will prove better for tourism in the city in the long run.

Show quote history

Are you suggesting we offer women in our 'boarded-up windows'? I'd sooner see a few boarded up windows than women selling themselves as said above - like a pork chop in a butcher's shop.

Tourism booms because lots of cashed-up Brit males come to smoke legalised drugs and have sex with legalised prositutes.

Cause and effect, my Dutch friends.

Cause and effect.

Emigratingimmigrant · 02/04/2023 07:48

thewooster · 02/04/2023 07:32

I was replying to a previous poster who said who has the money for trips to Amsterdam. Brits do. Lots of them.

And yes I agree with you, I bet there are loads of continentals in Amsterdam and I bet they are a problem too which the Dutch will admit in due course.

Show quote history

It wasn't a literal who has money for going to amsterdam literally.
It's just that we see it as a bit of a waste of money to run around in wigs and wave dildos.

Brits by far don't have the most money in durope

Maireas · 02/04/2023 07:53

thewooster · 29/03/2023 19:02

What do the Dutch expect? They offer booze, drugs and women for sale and then moan when the morons turn up!

This is what I don't get. Stop allowing all that stuff, especially women in the windows.

Emigratingimmigrant · 02/04/2023 07:53

Maireas · 02/04/2023 07:53

This is what I don't get. Stop allowing all that stuff, especially women in the windows.

Show quote history

Yes, be better like good old brits and hode it a bit. Tsk

Maireas · 02/04/2023 07:54

I agree, @thewooster .

Maireas · 02/04/2023 07:55

Emigratingimmigrant · 02/04/2023 07:53

Yes, be better like good old brits and hode it a bit. Tsk

Show quote history

I actually don't quite know what you mean, but yes, better off not on display like pieces of meat.

Sammyandtheboocas · 02/04/2023 07:58

Amsterdam surprised me, much more family friendly than I imagined. The RLD is quite small, and in the daytime at least, not as seedy as I thought it would be.

The drug scene isn't massively obtrusive either, it's there and a 'tourist attraction', but not really annoying.

The museums, architecture, canals etc far, far outweigh the bad stuff.

Places like Dublin, York and Brighton..now they are awful. The Stag and Hen do's ( Hen do's being worse of the two) make them really uncomfortable places to go.

Maireas · 02/04/2023 07:59

I agree, @ListenToTheFacts .

Maireas · 02/04/2023 08:02

The thing is that young British people seem to have high disposable incomes, and flying out to these places for a hedonistic time has become commonplace. How many stag dos are just a night in a pub and a curry house now?.

Maireas · 02/04/2023 08:04

Devoutspoken · 02/04/2023 07:36

Adahopper, 'the trafficked sex slaves are not usually in the windows', just the happy hookers, all delighted to be there?

Good point