Oct 26, 2007
An unspeakable tourist attraction of Amsterdam may stand on the verge of being phased out
It might seem odd to write about European sex workers on a travel blog, but a story that recently ran in the UK's Guardian -- about Amsterdam closing down a third of its brothels -- is truly tourism news.
For better or worse, Amsterdam's red light district is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Europe, as firmly on the list of Amsterdam's top sights as the Rembrandts in the Rijksmuseum, the canal boat tours, or the Anne Frank House. It's a standard stop for any bus tour, and it is not unusual to see these seedy streets teeming with families of tourists from around the world.
In fact, many have argued that these seedy streets draw as many if not more tourist gawkers (and their tourism euros) as they do actual customers who visit with an eye to purchasing services. This is what makes travel news out of the fact that the mayor's office is closing dozens of the infamous red light district "windows" in which lingerie-clad women advertise their wares.
The official line on the crackdown is that the neighborhood draws an unhealthy share of crime, from pickpocketing to money laundering. The local prostitutes -- who, under the Dutch system, are licensed, pay taxes, and receive free health services -- claim the officials are going after the easiest but least effective target, and that the real problems are the unlicensed brothels and street pimps which are attracting and abetting the auxiliary lawlessness.
I'm not taking sides.
Write and read comments about this post.
For better or worse, Amsterdam's red light district is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Europe, as firmly on the list of Amsterdam's top sights as the Rembrandts in the Rijksmuseum, the canal boat tours, or the Anne Frank House. It's a standard stop for any bus tour, and it is not unusual to see these seedy streets teeming with families of tourists from around the world.
In fact, many have argued that these seedy streets draw as many if not more tourist gawkers (and their tourism euros) as they do actual customers who visit with an eye to purchasing services. This is what makes travel news out of the fact that the mayor's office is closing dozens of the infamous red light district "windows" in which lingerie-clad women advertise their wares.
The official line on the crackdown is that the neighborhood draws an unhealthy share of crime, from pickpocketing to money laundering. The local prostitutes -- who, under the Dutch system, are licensed, pay taxes, and receive free health services -- claim the officials are going after the easiest but least effective target, and that the real problems are the unlicensed brothels and street pimps which are attracting and abetting the auxiliary lawlessness.
I'm not taking sides.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: amsterdam
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