Amsterdam warns British tourists planning "messy" trips to get "trashed" to simply "stay away"
London — The city of Amsterdam has launched a campaign to discourage visits from British men between the ages of 15 and 35 who are looking to party.
"Coming to Amsterdam for a messy night + getting trashed = £140 + criminal record + fewer prospects," a new video says, showing an intoxicated man being arrested and jailed.
The video will be shown to people who search for terms online like "stag [bachelor] party Amsterdam," "cheap hotel Amsterdam" or "pub crawl Amsterdam," the city said in a statement on Tuesday.
"So coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away," the video concludes.
The campaign will be extended to target "potentially nuisance-causing visitors" from other European countries, and even domestic visitors from other parts of the Netherlands, over the course of the year, the city announced.
Amsterdam has long been known for the recreational sex available legally in its red light district and the cannabis that can be purchased in coffee shops. Those traits have made it one of Europe's party capitals, attracting tourists from all over the world.
But residents have long complained about tourists who visit and become extremely intoxicated and rowdy.
Last month, Amsterdam put rules in place that ban the smoking of marijuana in the red light district and require sex workers to close their venues by 3 a.m.