Amsterdam Red Light tour restrictions

This item appears on page 4 of the April 2020 issue.

In a reversal of a plan that would have completely outlawed guided group tours in Amsterdam’s Red Light District (May ’19, pg. 4), the Dutch city announced in mid-February 2020 that guided group tours could still visit the neighborhood, but they could not include visits to the area’s display windows where sex workers pose for potential clients.

The sex workers’ union asked the city to allow tours to continue, saying that tour guides helped keep them safe by reminding visitors to be respectful and not take photos of the women without their consent.