Holidaymaker are being told to "stay away" from this hugely popular destination in a new campaign aimed at reducing visitor numbers. The amount of British travellers to Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, has dropped considerably this year in the months following the campaign to discourage disruptive tourists.

There has been a downturn in Brits heading to Amsterdam, a reduction of 22 per cent when compared to pre-pandemic levels. Since March 2023, potential travellers researching a break to the capital have been encouraged to go somewhere else if they are only coming for the city's red light district and cannabis cafes.

The online campaign has been designed to deter 'wild' travellers from heading to the city. Cautionary clips part of the campaign show young men worse for wear, with some being handcuffed and fingerprinted by the police.

It also describes the risks and consequences of excessive drug and alcohol consumption. These are fines, hospitalisation, a criminal record and the potential for permanent damage to your health.

Beverley Boden, head of the department for aviation, tourism, finance and marketing at Teesside University International Business School, told The Independent: "The Dutch government has taken a unique approach to managing the swarms of people big European cities experience, and may seem contradictory, especially at a time when tourist bodies are battling to raise the number of visitors coming in.

"The Dutch approach shows it is possible to prevent rowdy tourists from coming over, and may serve as an effective blueprint for other countries looking to do the same."

People are still free to fly to Amsterdam, but Boden says: "This might invite a calmer kind of tourist as opposed to the so-called 'louts' that cause inner-city mayhem. The Dutch way certainly shows others that it is possible to shift the demographic of who arrives into the country which may, in the end, be better for other kinds of tourists."

The 'de-marketing' campaign appears to be working alongside a cap of "air connectivity" which limits the amount of flights which can come and go from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. To reduce noise pollution and fossil fuel emissions, flights will be capped at 452,500 per year, 9.5 per cent lower than pre-pandemic levels.