Campaigns to deter British stag dos ‘just haven’t worked’ as Prague and Amsterdam surge into top 10 destinations in the world

Officials in Amsterdam and Prague have launched a plethora of rules in the past year, which aim to keep large groups away.

But the UK’s leading stag and hen organiser has revealed that bookings to both cities haven’t slowed down despite the best efforts of killjoy local leaders.

“Amsterdam and Prague are two of the most popular cities in Europe for our stag groups, and we’ve always maintained these campaigns were never likely to work,” said Matt Mavir, whose firm Last Night of Freedom has revealed that both cities featured in its most popular stag do hotspots in 2024.

“Our stags just aren’t put off, and the booking stats back that up.”

Amsterdam was the first to launch its concerted campaign to encourage Brits not to cross the North Sea - banning drinking or smoking cannabis on the street, shutting down paid tours of the red light district and even launching a “misleading and heavy-handed” online quiz which wrongly claimed stag dos had been banned in the city.

Prague then followed suit, first attempting to ban fancy dress costumes and then prohibiting organised pub crawls around the Czech city’s famously densely packed collection of pubs.

It comes as both cities try to attract wealthier and what are described as “more cultured” tourists, moving away from their reputations as party hotspots.

“These over-zealous policies might have attracted headlines, but it’s clear that they haven’t made a dent in the number of stag groups in Britain who want to visit,” continued Matt.

“We’ve crunched the numbers for 2024, which show both cities remain in the top 10 most popular destinations for stag groups which proves their enduring appeal.”

Matt’s Newcastle based company has launched more than 50,000 stag and hen parties in its 25-year history – and has defended his customers’ right to enjoy themselves on their last night of freedom.

“People who go to stag and hen parties are normal, everyday people – they spend their money and are a vibrant part of a healthy tourism ecosystem across Europe,” continued Matt.

“Most stags only do it once and the vast majority are respectful, simply wanting to let their hair down and celebrate with their mates.

“And I think that leaders in these cities potentially forget that our stags are often the same ‘wealthier and more cultured’ tourists who might one day return with partners or families in the future.

“While we’re not seeing any sign of booking numbers dipping, those behind these campaigns must be careful they don’t create an unwelcome atmosphere that harms its tourism industry.”

Newcastle is the most popular stag do city in the world, according to Last Night of Freedom’s rankings, followed by Benidorm and Liverpool.

Prague is fifth on the top ten list, with Amsterdam ninth – with their popularity with women also growing, with the Czech capital up to 18th from 49th and the Dutch city up to 20th from 28th in hen party bookings.

The top 10 list of stag do destinations in full:

1. Newcastle
2. Benidorm
3. Liverpool
4. Dublin
5. Prague
6. Edinburgh
7. Bristol
8. Cardiff
9. Amsterdam
10. Krakow