Starting in 2018, people visiting the Red Light District in Amsterdam as part of guided tour groups will have to adhere to a number of rules recently introduced by the local authorities, according to a notice posted on the city’s official website.
As per the new regulations, tours groups are not allowed into the Red Light District after 11 p.m. Tour groups are prohibited from stopping at busy areas like bridges or in front of store entrances. Tourists are prohibited from taking pictures of prostitutes, and tour guides must ensure that their charges are facing away from sex workers during stops. Tourists are also prohibited from shouting and drinking alcohol or doing drugs during the tour, while the guides are expected to instruct them to treat local residents, entrepreneurs and sex workers with respect.
These new restrictive measures were apparently implemented due to a steadily growing number of people wishing to visit the area, with up to 27 tour groups traversing the district at the same time.
The municipal authorities also considering levying a so called "entertainment fee" on people taking part in such tours, the notice adds.
