Amsterdam as a gay tourism destination in the twenty-first century

In the last quarter of the twentieth century Amsterdam was universally known as the ‘Gay Capital of Europe’ with a thriving gay scene that had a strong magnetic effect on gay travellers from all continents. The celebration of Amsterdam as an attractive destination for gays culminated in 1998 in the Gay Games under the slogan ‘friendship through sport and culture’ where, according to the Federation of Gay Games (2006), 250,000 tourists visited the city during the event.