Showing posts with label Crack Down. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crack Down. Show all posts

Saturday 19 May 2018

'Party city' Amsterdam to crack down on tourists


Amsterdam is seeking to contain the flood of tourists swamping the city, with the incoming council proposing a series of tough measures and plans to hike tourism taxes.

Some 18 million tourists visit Amsterdam every year -- more than the entire population of the Netherlands --  and local residents have become increasingly fed-up at the deluge.

The city's picturesque narrow streets and canals now sag year round under the weight of all the visitors, including increasing numbers of raucous and unruly stag and hen parties.

Under a plan "to seek a new balance" put forward by the four parties forming the city's next coalition council, popular activities like beer-bikes and boozy boat trips will be sharply curtailed.
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 "Tourism is part of the international culture of Amsterdam, which we should continue to cherish," the plan says, a copy of which was obtained Thursday by AFP.

But due to "nuisance, crowds and rubbish, some neighborhoods are under extreme pressure."
Amsterdam is first and foremost "a city to live in and to do business," the plan says, adding "it is only secondly a tourist destination."

From 2019 tourist taxes will be hiked to 7.0 percent, while the city will also look at ways to cut back on the number of hotel rooms.

In some swamped neighborhoods a total ban on holiday rentals may be introduced, and plans for a new passenger terminal for large cruise ships will be scrapped.

"We are looking for an alternative location outside of Amsterdam," the plan says.

The city already announced in January that it would impose a new 30-day curb on the renting of private homes via websites like online booking giant Airbnb from next year. And this will be strictly enforced, the parties pledged.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Thursday 26 May 2016

Thailand - Happy Ending

Spa association urges authorities to give them a happy ending.

 The Federation of Thai Spa Associations (FTSPA) is asking the government to crack down on the sexual services on offer at some of the country’s many massage parlors.

FTSPA advisor Apichai Jearadisak noted that many massage parlors are offering sexual services to tourists and damaging the reputation and image of traditional Thai massage parlors and spas. 
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Spas and traditional Thai massage are one of the big draws for tourists traveling to Thailand, but some visitors might get rubbed the wrong way when they are offered services in the back room that are very different than those that appear on the services list by the door.
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The FTSPA also noted that only about a quarter of the spas operating in the country are registered with the appropriate offices, according to the Bangkok Post.
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Apichai noted that other issues in the industry include giving jobs as Thai masseuses to migrant workers when the spas should focus on maintaining "Thainess" and feature workers trained in traditional Thai techniques. 
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Spa professionals across the country would like to see a crackdown on illegal practices but also more safety standards to ensure that visitors have good experiences and keep returning.
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Source: Coconuts
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