Say it ain't so....

[smokestaxlitenin]

I just read an article that said tourists will be banned from coffee shops in Amsterdam by end of 2012....

Say it ain't so.....

[smokestaxlitenin]

It also said each Dutch citizen will have to register with a specific shop and each shop will have a 1500 max membership.....

[YourGuru]

It ain't so.... Yet.

[KeyMonCha]

"The Dutch government has officially riled up potheads around the world by banning foreign tourists from lighting up at the country's famous cannabis "coffee" shops."

Sounds pretty official... I'm going in a week and this has got me worried. I'm sure it won't take effect yet, but still...



http://www.nypost.com/p/news/internatio ... Yc1B3s26gL


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2 ... rdam_.html

[washdc]

The policy is currently under constitutional review and should be decided for good (or bad, depending on your point of view) in the next few months.

Amsterdam’s tourist board, ATCB, is up in arms about the challenge to its “famous Spirit of Freedom”, while researchers at the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions are investigating the economic impact of the “wietpas” (weed pass). ATCB research suggests that one in 14 people come to the capital city for its 223 coffeeshops, but almost a quarter of overnight visitors end up wiling away a few hours in one. Having lived in the Netherlands for 18 months, in both the canal belt and trendy Jordaan, this comes as no surprise to me.

...

Some people are still fighting, however. Machteld Ligtvoet, manager of communication at the ATCB, explains: “Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Board agrees with the mayor of Amsterdam that we shouldnot implement a so-called ‘weed card’. We believe it is a solution for a problem that Amsterdam does not experience [and]? implies an act of discrimination towards foreigners. Furthermore, we fear that soft drugs will be sold on the street again, leading to more crime and dangerous situations. ATCB now never actively promotes soft drugs or coffee shops, but we consider the availability of soft drugs part of our famous Spirit of Freedom. And that is what people like about our city – you can be yourself in Amsterdam.”

Unsurprisingly, cannabis experts are with them. David Duclos, manager of Amsterdam’s Cannabis College Foundation, said: “The central bureau for statistics has stated that tourism could suffer by up to 20 per cent. And if you take cannabis out of the coffeeshops, there’s only one place to go: back on the streets, so the regulation of the quality and safety would be greatly diminished.”

His own organisation, recognising its inevitable bias, surveyed its visitors last October and found 85 per cent wouldn’t come to Amsterdam if the residents’ permit went ahead.

Meanwhile, some tour operators have said the scheme would have a negative impact on the marketability of the Dutch capital and the cautious Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions adds: “It is possible that a decision to introduce the Weed Card will reduce the number of foreign tourists who choose Amsterdam or the Netherlands as a destination for a stay. But a less liberal policy might also attract new tourists.”

I don't think we've lost yet.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/eur ... 81819.html

[Balou]

I don't think we've lost yet.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/eur ... 81819.html

FYI, that article was written before the release of the most recent news on Friday.

Peace,
Balou

[washdc]

Didn't even see that.. Still, I suppose it could be indicative of the attitude towards this new development.