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Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956
Amsterdam unveiled far-reaching plans on Wednesday to rein in tourism, reflecting the dissatisfaction of many residents who feel the city's historic center has been overrun.
The leading Green-Left and other parties negotiating a new municipal government after March elections vowed to return "Balance to the City", in a document of that name seen by Reuters.
"The positive sides of tourism such as employment and city revenues are being more and more overshadowed by the negative consequences" including trash and noise pollution, the document said.
Changes the document outlines include curtailing "amusement transportation" such as multi-person "beer bikes"; cracking down on alcohol use in boats on the canals; further restricting AirBnB and other home rentals; and a large tax hike.
The plans announced on Wednesday also include creating an inventory of all commercial beds in the city to try to cap various sectors such as those on cruise ships and in hotels.
"I'm very happy that the city is now finally taking action, because residents have been asking for it for a very long time," said Bert Nap of neighborhood organization d'Oude Binnenstad, in the historic center.
"What I'm worried about is that this package of measures is so drastic that there will be a lot of lawsuits and political resistance, which will cost a lot of time."
Source: http://www.oann.com/bye-bye-beer-bike-amsterdam-determined-to-tame-tourism/
(Score: 2) by fritsd on Sunday May 20 2018, @09:45AM
They probably meant it in a literal sense, since Amsterdam is about as diverse as London or New York.
Drunk student frat clubs and English stag parties, not looking where they cycle their beer bike, running over pedestrians and cyclists that don't get out of the way fast enough, blocking the roads (those beer bikes are very wide and long, accomodate about a dozen people I'd say).
It's driven by all of them, so they can always blame each other: "sorry old lady! it wasn't me, it was this other guy, he was drunk! here, have a beer!"