A campaign to scare off “big” tourists from the Netherlands failed, at least “it didn’t reduce the city’s appeal to partygoers”, Amsterdam authorities were forced to admit. It’s about the Stay Away campaign (“Stay away”), designed to scare away unnecessary tourists from the UK who come to Amsterdam because “everything is allowed there” and behave abominably. However, when the created image is difficult to change, and inappropriate tourists still visit them, the Dutch complain.
According to Dutch News, during the campaign, videos in which tourists who came to the “nest of vice” violated public order and ended up in police or hospital custody were shown by 3.3 million young people aged 18 to 35. times since launching in March. The campaign aimed to oppose unwanted tourism.
Unfortunately, the campaign did not work – Amsterdam still has a high level of attractiveness among the target group they want to scare away – rowdy alcohol tourists attracted by legal “weed” and other freedoms. “Tourists still see Amsterdam as a city where everything is allowed… and this remains a strong motivation to visit,” the local authorities said.
At the same time, even those who watched the video did not realize what restrictions apply in the city and what charges await tourists. “Many of them do not know about the ban on using and smoking marijuana on the street, about the earlier closing of bars, including in the Red Light District, as well as brothels, the ban on sleeping in cars, and the ban on urinating in public places,” – experts explained.
At the same time, no one is going to curtail the campaign – the plans are only to expand and deepen it. Thus, the city’s marketing department will try to find out whether it is possible to make the message of the campaign more specific for this target audience, as well as to expand the campaign at the expense of party-goers from other EU countries and from the Netherlands.
A second Renew Your View campaign will also be launched, promoting Amsterdam from a “new and fresh perspective” and highlighting the city’s diversity. The PR program will be rolled out abroad and in the Amsterdam region in general and will start at the end of this month.