Amsterdam Urges Rowdy Brits To “Stay Away”

This week, Amsterdam will launch a digital campaign to discourage young British men from organizing parties centered around excessive alcohol and drug consumption.

The new campaign, called “Stay Away,” will target British men between the ages of 18 and 35 searching “stag party Amsterdam,” “cheap hotel Amsterdam” or “pub crawl Amsterdam” online, with advertisements dissuading them of the consequences of drinking too much, taking drugs or causing mayhem in Netherlands’ capital. 

“These advertisements will show the risks and consequences of anti-social behaviour and excessive drug and alcohol (ab)use, such as being fined, being arrested by the police, getting a criminal record, hospitalization and health damage.

“The warnings about the risks and possible consequences will discourage some of the visitors to come. The campaign will be evaluated and possibly further developed during the coming months,” the municipality said in a statement.

The campaign is expected to expand to “potential nuisance-causing visitors from the Netherlands and other EU countries,” the municipality continued. 

Drunk Brits stumbling around the red light district, some throwing up in canals, urinating in public, and even engaging in drunken brawls isn’t a new phenomenon. 

Deputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki (Economic Affairs and Inner City Approach) stated, “Visitors will remain welcome, but not if they misbehave and cause a nuisance.”

Amsterdam is one of the world’s most visited cities. Around 20 million visitors – including a million Brits – visit the city annually. However, BBC pointed out, “the targeted ad campaigns are discriminatory and based on unfair stereotypes.”