User:Gracelorelei/sandbox/dewallen

De Wallen

 Tourism : (New Section)

With over 18 Million visitors coming in and out of Amsterdam every year De Wallen, well known for its sex and drug oriented business’, is a top tourist destination which attracts people from all over the world. Tourists who travel to this region are able to see live sex shows as well as purchase a wide array of sex services. Additionally, tourists are able to visit Coffee Shops in which they are able to both purchase and use Marijuana under the Netherlands Drug Policy. Locals argue that De Wallen has been shaped into the most popular Red Light District in Amsterdam to appeal to modern day tourists, whom are often there to "see" the district rather than to purchase sex. Additionally, various tourist attractions have transformed the sexual aspects of De Wallen into sightseeing, such as the Sex Museum and the Erotic museum.

As of April 2018, Amsterdam officials have passed new regulations to better manage tourism in the Red Light District. Tours are now required to "finish by 11pm, groups are not allowed to convene at places prone to extra traffic, tour participants are not allowed to take photos of sex workers and the use of loud speakers is prohibited. Alcohol and drug use during tours is banned, and prior to starting the tour, operators are obliged to instruct their tour groups to show respect for local businesses, residents and sex workers."

 Sex Work  (addition):

Despite the alluring and unconventional atmosphere of De Wallen, sex trafficking and forced prostitution are serious issues the area faces; to combat this, Amsterdam lawmakers have launched Plan 1012 in 2007, referring to the 1012 area code of the Red Light District. The primary goals of the plan include “(a) dismantling criminal infrastructure, (b) reducing concentration of criminogenic and low- quality enterprises, and (c) realising a qualitative and diverse entry area.” Plan 1012 pushes to work towards decreasing criminal activity related to sex and drugs. Originally, Plan 1012 was to close down 40% of brothels in the district, but under a new plan proposed in 2015, only 25% of brothels were forced to close. Additionally, Plan 1012 pushed to remove visible sex work from De Wallen in hopes of establishing a "re-appreciation" of the historic urban center, and to avoid sex trafficking in the area by enforcing rules and regulations.

 History  (addition)

During the late 20th century, De Wallen was a perilous area, inhabited by drug users and dealers creating an uneasy atmosphere. In this time period De Wallen was referred to as the Endstation and the prominent drug scene became widely known by drug users all over Europe.

In 1984, NV Zeedijk, a governmental and local entrepreneurial project ran by the department manager of Project 1012, focused on bettering the quality of life on Zeedijk, a popular street in De Wallen. The Project resulted in the displacement of many drug users and dealers. This was a pivotal primary development of the transformation of the district.

At the same time, Dutch sex workers in the region pushed for governmental awareness and security, because of the ambivalent laws that negatively effected their Sex Work. A sex-workers’ advocacy group De Rode Draad (The Red Thread) pro- tested against the injustices and lack of visibility of sex work they saw in the Dutch system. Dutch sex workers pushed for the acceptance and recognition of their work from the Dutch government.