The war against overtourism in Amsterdam has taken a new turn, with the city giving a fishmonger only a few days to shut down or limit himself to selling raw fish.
Amsterdam has recently taken a number of actions against what it calls “Disneyification” of the city, including limiting short-term rentals in certain areas and banning new tourist-oriented shops from the city center for the next five years.
An inspector’s report on the shop said the store was providing seating for customers, and had panini and fried fish on offer in the window, turning it into an unapproved restaurant. The owner denies that, telling local press ‘If this is a tourist shop, then I have spent my whole life in the tourist trade instead of in fish.’
The city says if he wants to stay, he has to get rid of the seats and cooking equipment; he says he can’t do that, since he just signed a 10-year lease. Stay tuned!
Photo: Peter K Burian/Wikimedia
