American Studies alumnus Tim Igor Snijder’s article in the Washington Post (May 6, 2020) explores the effect of coronavirus on Amsterdam and tourism.
Beginning in mid-March, when the Netherlands went into semi-lockdown to combat the covid-19 pandemic, tourism vanished from Amsterdam almost overnight. A social and economic crisis has hit the country and its capital hard. But for residents of Amsterdam’s historic city center, there is a clear silver lining: temporary relief from the burden of overtourism.
He captures the eerie calm of walking through the Red Light District these days. “The total quiet of the Wallen,” as the University of Amsterdam’s Tim Verlaan observes in the article, “shows exactly how geared toward tourism that neighborhood has become. There are no shops left to serve residents.”
Read the whole thing here: “‘The city is ours again’: How the pandemic relieved Amsterdam of overtourism,” Washington Post (May 6, 2020)