'We must act now': Netherlands tries to control tourism boom

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

'We must act now': Netherlands tries to control tourism boom

Strategy may involve tourist tax and closing down attractions in crowded regions

Daniel Boffey in Brussels
Mon 6 May 2019 15.39 BST Last modified on Mon 6 May 2019 15.52 BST

The tulips are being trampled, the people of Amsterdam squeezed out of their canal-side homes and the Netherlands’ most picturesque villages, famous for their windmills, swamped.

Now, with as many as 42 million people forecast to visit the country annually by 2030, up from 18 million in 2018, the Netherlands tourist board has had enough.

In a major shift, the board is moving its focus from promoting the country as a tourist destination to trying to manage the huge numbers coming in by plane, train and automobile.

A country of 17 million people can have too much of a good thing, it is suggested.

“We say that ‘more’ is not always better, certainly not everywhere,” a tourist board policy document states. “To be able to control visitor flows, we must take action now. Instead of destination promotion it’s time for destination management.”

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/06/we-must-act-now-netherlands-tries-to-control-tourism-boom

[saidsimplesimon]

1. Oh no's the "ugly repuglicon americans" are

a danger to tulips.

[SoCalNative]

2. The worst aren't Americans

it's the party tourists that come for the weekends to partake of the coffee shops and free-flowing alcohol.

[saidsimplesimon]

3. locals not US, good to hear, thank you

[SoCalNative]

4. Locals meaning

from other European countries, especially the UK.

[saidsimplesimon]

5. Yes, I understood your post.

Thank you

[unc70]

7. Biggest growth is in tourists from Asia

Not sure about the Netherlands, but in most of Europe the big increases is is tourists from Asia, particularly now from China. Increasing wealth worldwide has a lot more people wanting to travel. The perception that the US is less friendly has made Europe seem more attractive.

The rapid jump in the number of tourists in general is felt most acutely in smaller destinations such as Venice. That might be the case in much of the Netherlands.

[Thyla]

6. To be fair the NL is very nice.

I wasn't sure what I expected but it went beyond those expectations, nice place.
Must visit again.