Will Banning Marijuana in Amsterdam Affect the Tourism Industry?
Will banning marijuana in Amsterdam affect the tourism industry?
Amsterdam is known to be the liberal city of the world and the capital of the Netherlands. The 1970’s saw the Dutch government change drug policy and categorise marijuana as a ‘soft drug,’ as a result coffee shops were born. Coffee shops allowed locals and tourists to smoke small amounts of cannabis with a wide range of variety and strengths. Coffee shops have since become part of Dutch culture and Amsterdam’s identity. Fast forward forty years later and the Dutch government is in the process of once again changing the drug policy. The aim is to ban tourists from coffee shops as well as making residents obtain a ‘weed pass’ and become members of the coffee shops. The purpose of this journal article is to examine and analyse whether implementing the ban on foreign tourists will affect the tourism industry. Furthermore, the article will discuss the potential impacts the ban will have on the City and society. Using credible information sources from industry professionals, results from a survey conducted and the writers empirical observation on the issue, the journal will conclude with predictions on the future of Amsterdam’s tourism industry.
Literature review
Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands and is a popular tourist destination in Europe. The liberal city is home to coffee shops, which has allowed tourists and locals to purchase and smoke small amounts of cannabis. The Dutch government back in the 1970’s introduced the soft drug policy. The aim was to combat serious drug addictions by distinguishing a difference between hard and soft drugs. Amsterdam soon became a popular city to visit for many free spirited people who practiced smoking marijuana. Additionally, it quickly became a must see destination on many people’s travel itineraries and became extremely popular in Europe. Presently, the Dutch government is threatening to abolish their current drug laws and ban foreign
Amsterdam is known to be the liberal city of the world and the capital of the Netherlands. The 1970’s saw the Dutch government change drug policy and categorise marijuana as a ‘soft drug,’ as a result coffee shops were born. Coffee shops allowed locals and tourists to smoke small amounts of cannabis with a wide range of variety and strengths. Coffee shops have since become part of Dutch culture and Amsterdam’s identity. Fast forward forty years later and the Dutch government is in the process of once again changing the drug policy. The aim is to ban tourists from coffee shops as well as making residents obtain a ‘weed pass’ and become members of the coffee shops. The purpose of this journal article is to examine and analyse whether implementing the ban on foreign tourists will affect the tourism industry. Furthermore, the article will discuss the potential impacts the ban will have on the City and society. Using credible information sources from industry professionals, results from a survey conducted and the writers empirical observation on the issue, the journal will conclude with predictions on the future of Amsterdam’s tourism industry.
Literature review
Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands and is a popular tourist destination in Europe. The liberal city is home to coffee shops, which has allowed tourists and locals to purchase and smoke small amounts of cannabis. The Dutch government back in the 1970’s introduced the soft drug policy. The aim was to combat serious drug addictions by distinguishing a difference between hard and soft drugs. Amsterdam soon became a popular city to visit for many free spirited people who practiced smoking marijuana. Additionally, it quickly became a must see destination on many people’s travel itineraries and became extremely popular in Europe. Presently, the Dutch government is threatening to abolish their current drug laws and ban foreign
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