Strip club bosses in one of the UK's top party cities are fighting for survival after the council threatened to shut them down for good.
Edinburgh is a leading destination for partygoers, hen and stag dos and tourists, with the infamous "pubic triangle" of adult venues in the city's Old Town attracting thousands of revellers every year.
But the Scottish capital's thriving nightlife could soon take a hit after the council voted to ban sex entertainment establishments last year – and the closures could come into effect as early as April.
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"Less than five years ago, Edinburgh was voted Britain’s best party city and even beat Las Vegas and Sao Paulo," said Matt Mavir, founder of the leading stag and hen do company Last Night of Freedom.
"Fast forward to now, and you have puritanical busybodies trying to suck the fun out of much of the city.
"Our company alone send thousands of people there each year without fail. But officials are playing a dangerous game by trying to alienate such a huge tourist market."
Edinburgh is a top choice for hen and stag parties – the city is Last Night of Freedom's third-most popular destination in Europe for hen dos.
Mavir, whose organisation has hosted more than 45,000 bachelor and bachelorette parties to date, added the post-Covid travel boom means Edinburgh's nightlife scene could see even more success in the coming years.
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But on top of the council's recent vote, which saw elected officials vote five-four in favour of a "nil cap" policy for adult entertainment venues, the Edinburgh Old Town Association (EOTA) is also campaigning for city leaders to "discourage hen and stag party-type" visitors, following similar a proposal floated in Amsterdam.
The EOTA made reference the Dutch city's "Stay Away Campaign" – which could see the city tighten its licencing laws and cut its opening hours short in a bid to dissuade partygoing tourists from visiting – in its January newsletter, suggesting Edinburgh consider a similar policy.
EOTA member Eric Drake told the Edinburgh Evening News: “Without wanting to sound snobbish, some types of tourist are better for the city.”
But Mavir says the city's economy would be in jeopardy if the EOTA's proposals are put into action.
“We estimate stags and hens alone are easily worth tens of millions of pounds to Edinburgh’s economy each year," he added.
"To even suggest they won’t be welcome will just push them into the arms of a city that will gladly accept what they bring.
“And this cold front from officials, in which they are effectively calling people visiting for a night out a ‘second class tourist’, undoes the decades of good work Edinburgh’s done over the years to attract people from every background and it merely paints it as a city where you’re only welcome if your face fits.”
And Mavir's concerns don't only extend to the economy – the council's proposals have sparked fears for those who rely on the city's club scene to pay their bills.
Others have concerns that strip club employees may be pushed into dangerous, and even illegal, working environments when the clubs shut their doors.
"There isn’t a major city on Earth that doesn’t have a booming night-time economy," Mavir added.
"But if a few nimby crusaders get their way, Edinburgh could soon be the first and that could have dire consequences for a lot of people whose livelihoods depend on it.”
The Daily Star has contacted the City of Edinburgh Council and the EOTA for comment.
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