The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy supervises the Department of Tourism and Recreation. The Ministry aspires to spread the amount of tourists with the promotion of Dutch regions by means of the Holland City strategy, which is managed by NBTC Holland Marketing. Examples of objectives of the concept are:
- To promote the Netherlands through cultural and regional themes. For example, Leeuwarden was the European Capital of Culture in 2018, which ensured a considerable increase in the number of tourists. It is expected that Leeuwarden will attract an increased number of cultural tourists in the upcoming years as well. Cultural tourism in 2019 is focused on the theme Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age.
- Fictional storylines are developed to make tourists familiar with Dutch regions. For example, a fictional storyline concerning the theme flowers was initiated in 2018. This storyline includes, among others, the flower garden Keukenhof and the international flower trade market. In 2015, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy invested EUR 400 000 in the development of these storylines and the Dutch provinces financed EUR 300 000. The storylines are in use since June 2016.
In 2016, the government launched initiatives to improve the Dutch infrastructure to meet the demand of tourists. An example is theHolland Travel Ticket, which makes it possible to travel through the Netherlands by bus, train, metro and tram for a day. Another example is the Tourist Day Ticket, which is available in larger cities like Rotterdam and The Hague. As is the case with many popular tourist destinations, major cities in the Netherlands are struggling with a plenitude of visitors. Although the government does not particularly promote creative tourism, several creative events that are subsidised by the government attract thousands of tourists. Examples are the Dutch Design Week, International Film Festival Rotterdam and Pinkpop.
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