DUBAI: Amsterdam has come up with a unique tourism campaign that, travel officials said, stands a good chance of being replicated by other destinations: “Marry an Amsterdammer for a day.”
Don’t get too excited. You can marry but can’t kiss the bride. Nonetheless, the campaign, described by Condé Nast Traveller, as “a new way of getting people together,” could actually start something romantic.
Here’s how it works: Starting at the euro equivalent of Dh 416, “tourists bid for a listed bride or groom and perform a mock wedding ceremony.”
The “wedding” includes fake flowers and inexpensive rings. The bride walks down the aisle to her ‘betrothed’ and the couple seals the deal with a hug, says Condé Nast’s Andrea Pinto.
And here’s where it thickens. A one-day honeymoon follows where the couple can explore quieter parts of Amsterdam; friends and family are invited too, as long as the bid money covers their expenses. A part of the money also goes to a charity chosen by the bride or groom.
“Sounds legit? Well if you’re looking for true love, then it’s probably not, but it is one of the many innovative ways mass tourism is being tackled in Amsterdam. As part of the Untourist Movement, over 200 social entrepreneurs, non-profits, hotels, hostels and other pioneers are coming together to try and change tourism in Amsterdam for the better,” Pinto says.
There are options: “Weed Dating” — definitely not what you have in mind! “Basically, visitors meet at a farm where they make conversation with strangers while they weed an assigned patch of soil,” explains Pinto.
“Plastic fishing,” she adds, “is another alternative, where you fish for plastic in the canal that is upcycled into furniture.”
These methods ensure that the influx of tourists has a positive impact on the environment as the number of tourists visiting the Netherlands is expected to rise by 50% in the next decade.
