Autumn in the Netherlands is like a fairy tale come to life. The streets, parks, and canals are overtaken by orange and yellow leaves making everything seem magical. Not to mention that there are a ton of things you can do in Holland during the fall season.
You have no idea what we’re talking about but want to enjoy the last days of autumn to the fullest? Well then, head on over to our Guide to Autumn in the Netherlands to learn more about the joys of naked saunas, Dutch forests, Dutch soup and so much more!
If you live in Amsterdam and don’t feel like traveling too far for a wonderful autumn experience, then you can always read up on things to enjoy in Amsterdam during fall. And if by any chance you want to enjoy the beach one last time before it gets crazy cold, then we have some ideas for you on how to spend the last autumn days at Scheveningen.
Autumn photo report by Gosse Bouma
Gosse Bouma is a Dutch videographer, who has shown us time and time again the beauty of the Netherlands throughout the year. First, he amazed us with a video of snowy Amsterdam, and now he has come to enchant us with his autumn photography. Just see for yourself!
Did you enjoy our photo report by Gosse Bouma? What is the one thing you love the most about autumn in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments below!
Feature Image: Gosse Bouma/Supplied
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated in November 2019 for your reading pleasure.
Groningen, Drenthe, and South Holland will each have new hydrogen buses in their public transport system by 2021. A total of 50 new buses will be introduced in the Netherlands. Right now, there are only 8 hydrogen buses in the country.
How much does the project cost?
The cabinet and the three provinces have officially signed an agreement on November 20, 2019. This project will cost a total of 15 million euros, where half of it is funded by the European Union. The cabinet and the provinces each put forth 3.75 million euros. The costs for maintaining the upkeep and making sure they run smoothly lies with the provinces.
Making Dutch public transport more eco-friendly
According to Bright, all public transport in the Netherlands are not allowed to emit CO2 from 2030. They are slowly transitioning to a more sustainable future where they have 500 emission-free buses. However, that’s a mere 10% of the total number of buses in the public transport system. These emission-free buses are mostly electric.
Hydrogen-electric vehicles might be the future because they are able to travel long distances on just one tank. They are also more durable than other types. “Hydrogen really has the future when it comes to heavy means of transport such as buses and trucks,” says minister Stientje van Veldhoven.
Although the infrastructure to support more hydrogen-powered vehicles in not extensive, Minister Stientje van Veldhoven is hopeful that it will improve. With these many buses coming in, he hopes that there will be more people wanting to have hydrogen filling stations. The Netherlands currently has only 8 gas stations that provide hydrogen.
Do you think the government can do more to encourage hydrogen-powered vehicles? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Dance or Die won the award for best art documentary. It was made by News reporter Roozbeh Kaboly and tells the emotional story of a young dancer in Syria, played by Ahmad Joudeh, who uses dance as a way to escape the atrocities of war. After being unable to fulfil his dreams in his home country, he flees to the Netherlands.
Bellingcat – Truth In A Post-Truth World, directed by Hans Pool, navigates the idea of “citizen investigative journalism” and the importance of integrity in a world corrupted with fake news. Human Rights Watch explain “This highly skilled and controversial collective exposes the truth behind global news stories – from identifying the exact location of an Islamic State murder through analysis of a video distributed on YouTube, to tracking the story behind the mysterious poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the UK – Bellingcat hunts down answers using social media, reconstruction techniques, and audio analysis.”
Like the sound of these documentaries? What one would you rather watch? Let us know in the comments below!
The Dutch government is to launch a national rebranding campaign later this year, dropping the name ‘Holland’ in favor of ‘the Netherlands’ in all promotional materials. The new branding strategy clears up decades of confusion for the international community abroad and most likely cures one of the worst headaches for the fellow Dutchies at home.
Is it Holland or the Netherlands?
The ‘Holland vs the Netherlands’ debate is one of those mind-boggling phenomena that makes the internationals go “what the Dutch?!” at least once in their lifetime, if not more often than that.
Even today, most people across the globe use the term ‘Holland’ to refer to the Netherlands as a whole, instead of just the two provinces of North- and South-Holland that the name actually represents. Although the tendency to use both names interchangeably has grown more prevalent amongst the internationals, even some of the Dutch themselves seem to be accepting, if not forgiving, of such mislabeling when it occurs.
While much of this puzzlement certainly stems from the fact that most of the major cities in the Netherlands are in fact located in the region of Holland, some of the prevailing misconceptions are further reinforced by its previous national branding campaign – a ‘Holland’ moniker with an orange tulip, and the no less confusing tourism site under the same domain name.
Rebranding the Netherlands: A unified brand for the international stage
A spokeswoman for the ministry of foreign affairs said the Netherlands needed a more uniform and coordinated national branding strategy in order to boost the country’s exports, tourism, sports and spread “Dutch culture, norms and values” worldwide.
As part of a new branding campaign, developed jointly between the Dutch ministries, the tourism board, and business leaders, the Dutch authorities have now decided to settle for the name ‘the Netherlands’, retaining both the color orange and the traditional tulip, albeit redesigned for a more modern look.
The rebranding initiative aims to be ‘less promotional and more about content’, and sees the Netherlands portray itself as ‘co-creating pioneering solutions to global challenges’, reports the marketing magazine Adformatie.
Official changes to the current brand will be implemented ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games and the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, which will be hosted at the Dutch city of Rotterdam later in May.
The country’s new identity comes equipped with all the necessary extensions – a new logo, which combines the abbreviation NL in the form of a stylized tulip with ‘Netherlands’ spelled alongside it, and an upgrade to the domain name of its international tourism site. The current brand name of the Dutch football team, known abroad as ‘Holland’, will also undergo changes, and will now officially be called the Netherlands.
The new logo. Source: rijksoverheid/nbtc
All governmental, academic and cultural institutions working with the Dutch national government will be able to use the new logo as of January next year.
Is rebranding the Netherlands a necessary exercise?
In recent years, nation branding has grown into a booming business, with more and more countries across the globe looking for innovative ways to shape and market their brand identities to the world, either to simply raise awareness, rid themselves of stereotypical clichés or mold a more positive image. The Dutch are no exception here.
Dutch authorities believe that undertaking such a rebranding exercise will better represent the Netherlands as an ‘open, inventive and inclusive country’, modernizing its image on a global stage.
However, officials are most keen to shift international focus from certain cultural stereotypes that seem to plague the depiction of Dutch national life abroad, such as emphasis on its recreational drug culture and the red-light district of Amsterdam.
There is yet another Dutch controversy that springs to mind when one speaks of national rebranding, and that is none other than the Zwarte Piet character, which many abroad view as a racist tradition the Dutch should abandon.
Zwarte Piet is an annual cause of protests in the Netherlands. Image: dassel/Pixabay
The issues pertaining to the controversial Christmas tradition of ‘blackface’ have been dividing the country and tainting its international brand for years, drawing protests and sparking violence across the country during each holiday season.
This year, as a way to respect ‘both tradition and change’, no people in full blackface make-up will be featured at the Saint Nicholas parade; instead, the parade organizers are introducing Sinterklaas’s little helpers with ‘sooty faces’ and no golden earrings in sight.
If there is a silver lining in the ‘blackface’ cloud, and lifting the veil on other national stereotypes, it is a new sense of solidarity among the Dutch in trying to work out the core values and ideals that will define the Netherlands as a country, both at home and globally.
We can only hope that the new rebranding move brings our beloved Dutchies one step closer to a clearer understanding of just what that might be. What other things can the Dutchies rebrand? Let us know in the comments below!
Escaping reality is an interesting component of the human condition. If you could jump into a book or movie, would you? If so, we have found the solution for you right here at My Escape Club: your key to escape room fun in Amsterdam. You can live out your fantasies and it is perfect for adrenaline junkies.
Have you ever thought of piecing together the mind of a mad genius? Or perhaps exploring an ancient temple on a quest for lost treasures? What about breaking out of a bunker? Located 5 minutes from Leidseplein and Museumplein as well as near the Heineken Experience museum, it is a fun, thrilling, magical yet safe experience.
If this is all ‘too long, didn’t read’ then check out how the DutchReview team did at My Escape Club!
Escape rooms are designed to challenge your mind, pump adrenaline through your veins and turn on your survival instincts, resulting in an incomparable feeling of achievement. Search for signs, solve conundrums, experience the spirit of true camaraderie, dig out secrets and eventually escape! Some call it hell, some call it fun. Why not give it a go?
“Besides all this fun – why should we be escaping anyway?”
When My Escape Club asked us to stop by the DutchReview team did the legwork for you so that you know what you’re (literally) in for when you’re going to My Escape Club.
And it’s not just pure fun too – all of these escape rooms are great for team building. They are particularly amazing for families or for corporate teams to strengthen the bond between co-workers. Recently, companies have used the escape rooms to assess the teamwork skills and problem-solving skills of their employees (as well as potential applicants for a job!).
You will be given hints or pulled out of the game if ever you cannot figure it out, so don’t worry, you will not be trapped there. There is also a big red stop button in every escape room. After solving one (spoilers!), you receive a bonus classic Russian chocolate bar as well.
Go “Back to USSR” (this is the safest option!) in this escape room in Amsterdam
Step into the magical world of a nutty Russian scientist…
The first escape room experience we explored is called “Back to USSR”. This is wonderful for families as it is easy compared to the other rooms. It is also not scary, unlike one of the rooms that will be mentioned later. Read on to discover just how creepy one of the rooms can be.
Can you crack the code?
All rooms come with an intriguing backstory and so does this one! Here it goes:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work for a crazy Russian scientist? (Really? Um… Ok.) Well, here is your chance. The strange Doctor Korobeynikov’s life mission is to work on the greatest invention of all time (in his opinion, not sure how lucid this guy is so don’t take our word for it). We have to warn you that none of his assistants have lasted very long. We don’t know what happened to them. Apparently they were stressed and then disappeared? Willingly or unwillingly, who knows… If you pass this challenging test, perhaps you stand a chance at this job.
Check out this awesome tech!
This adventure is split into two rooms and is great for code aficionados. You need to find eight codes and they all have three digits. It can hold two to five people and lasts 60 minutes. It was a great introduction for the team and it is highly recommended that you begin with this one if you are an escape room beginner. If you are an expert, jump (or crawl) straight to the following ones.
Ivaylo is brave enough to get into the crawlspace first!
Judgement Day (the best escape room in Amsterdam we’ve encountered pretty much ever)
Imagine being immersed in a video game!
This one is not recommended for claustrophobics as there is a part where you get locked in! Yes, really… Now picture this. During a raging war in the year 2029, the human race is losing the battle against artificial intelligence. Our worst nightmare has come true! Come to think of it, we should have listened to those experts… However, we managed to locate a secret out-of-service bunker. The only thought that crossed my mind was: I am so glad I am not in the army. I would have been totally useless. But if you are good at solving difficult situations, then this will probably be the closest you will ever feel to being in an epic Hollywood movie.
This adventure was incredibly well scripted. The technology and bunker were extremely realistic. Therefore, the video that was shown really made us feel immersed in the experience. It felt like we were in a movie or a video game (watch out for the “explosive” surprise at the very end). There were several rooms and the set-up was the most intricate one we’ve ever encountered. The countdowns, as well as the varied flashing and colourful lights, stimulated our senses. It can accommodate 2 to 6 players and lasts 75 minutes. Army clothes are even provided!
Freya was a boss at solving the endless enigmas.High tech puzzles!Why don’t you press the red button?Freya and I try to figure out the clues!
The Curse: a sinister escape room in Amsterdam for you to enjoy
I skipped this escape room because she can’t handle anything scary! You have been warned…
Do you like scary movies? Well, then this is perfect for you. Peer into an old and eerie Amsterdam house. Put on a black cloak and take part in a dark ritual. Imagine you are in a mansion so frightening that all the local residents are aware of the ominous whispered rumours and refuse to go near it. Will you be able to find your way out of here? How do you know this is not a real curse?
Abuzer, Freya and Ivaylo were brave enough to step into the most spooky room at My Escape Club. Check out the robes!
One of the team members thought this was bad juju and refused to do it (aka – me!). I also did not do this one because it is such a realistic and hair-raising experience. Once completed, the others said it was a strange (but exciting) feeling. They emphasised that if they had not been guided through it, they would have been terrified. Spooky! Up for a challenge? Go for it. It can hold up to five players and lasts 75 minutes on average.
This is what happens if you don’t manage to escape The Curse…
Steampunk Adventure: perhaps this was the most beautiful escape room in Amsterdam
You need to be a little fit for this one! But with all your practice on bikes, you are going to be just fine.Ah, so this is what brain soda would look like…
Welcome to (probably) the most charming escape room in Amsterdam. Do you like novels by Herbert Wells or Jules Verne? The DutchReview team consists of book lovers so this was a truly bewitching universe. You will literally have to piece together the five senses of a nutty but brilliant scientist. Welcome to his newest creation: the Time Machine. Unfortunately, you have not reached the right destination and you find yourself in a parallel dimension: the world of Steampunk. Will you ever be able to get back to your original existence?
This could be part of a movie set… Stunning picture of an old fashioned typewriter. Or perhaps that is just the writer in me!
Set in the 1800s, this was a truly beautiful experience due to the antique-looking furniture and stunning mechanical movements. It was like a moving art installation and an absolute beauty to behold due to its astonishing attention to detail. The story was very original and made us really believe in time travel. Every human sense was explored in our quest to give the insane scientist the gift of immortal life. It can accommodate up to five players and lasts 75 minutes.
Get ready to get your mind blown in this escape room… The tech is turned into a piece of art.
Virtual Reality Experiences
This is not an escape room. This is Free Roam Virtual Reality, a fully immersive and lifelike virtual experience. High-quality image and very stable full-body tracking with the cutting edge HTC Vive equipment is used.
The HTC Vive is a virtual reality headset that utilises “room-scale” tracking technology that allows users to move in a 3D space whilst using motion-tracked handheld controllers to interact with the environment. Special gear is utilised to combine virtual reality and haptic technologies are used to enrich your experience. Sounds awesome? Definitely is, welcome to the future!
My Escape Club has a few games for you and your mates to play, but mowing down zombies is what we all want to do! Everyone dreams of shooting down a bunch of pesky zombies right? Thanks for the idea, Hollywood!
Freya inspects the state-of-the-art tech that will help her annihilate some pesky zombies!
Zombie Warriors
This is not for the faint of heart and is even more frightening than The Curse experience (but also more awesome!). If you can handle it, it is a perfect Halloween or birthday idea or otherwise also.
In “Zombie Warriors”, your friends and you will fight the zombies in a carefully created post-apocalypse setting. You are not just communicating with your teammates, you can heal other players and you can shoot them (virtually, of course). You can also feel zombies touching you due to the high tech full-body gear. Can you believe it? Also, watch out for the dark surprise halfway through the game.
It is recommended to do this in small groups of 2 or 3 and it lasts 45 minutes. The state-of-the-art full-body gear allows you to feel the bullets during the game. Your teammates can also heal you by tapping on your shoulder. This innovative technology enables you to have a truly immersive experience. This is also great for companies that want a team-building experience based on trust (and yeah, killing zombies!)
What is the fastest time on record for the completion of an escape room?
A team of five once only took 35 minutes. However, one of the members had experience in over 300 escape rooms (no pressure, though. Ha).
Help me, I’m scared of going to an escape room in Amsterdam!
What if we get stuck?
You will be given the chance to ask for help in every single escape room. Staff will try to not give you direct instructions on the following steps. They will attempt to provide you with clues instead to show you the right way forward.
Can I do this if I am not a great problem solver?
No specific knowledge is required, just read the information they will send you after the booking or immediately prior to the game start. Make sure you wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Occasionally you might need to crawl, jump or maybe dance.
Can I bring kids or is it a danger zone?
More information is provided for people that tend to worry (like me) click here.
Who came up with this sensational Escape Room Club in Amsterdam?
Sergei and his partners, who have already built loads of other escape rooms, love this field and created these spine-tingling escape rooms in Amsterdam.
If you haven’t heard, escape rooms by different companies have a huge and enthusiastic following all over the world. There is even a movie about it!
Excited about visiting these escape rooms in Amsterdam?
We are sure that you can’t wait to try these experiences now. It is important to warn the staff if you have any pre-existing health conditions. And no alcohol beforehand, although you can definitely drink some afterward. The endorphins rushing through you prior to your night out will definitely add a kick to your evening.
Every escape room is best played in comfortable clothes and no high heels. If you are pregnant or have any symptoms like panic attacks, claustrophobia, epilepsy, etc., please inform them before the game. They offer to adapt your session to exclude special effects which can result in any discomfort. How thoughtful!
To book an experience and for more information on the pricing, click here. (They will give you a 10% discount in case you have a birthday or you can present a valid student ID.)
Opening Times:
Monday to Friday (12:00 – 22:00)
Saturday to Sunday (11:00 – 23:00).
Have you ever been to an escape room in Amsterdam or elsewhere before? How did it feel? Let us know in the comments below!
In Amsterdam, sixteen primary schools will be closed for five days in the week of the 9th of December. And, following a one day strike at the beginning of this month, primary and secondary school teachers will strike again in January- this time for two days.
The two strikes are taking place for related, but different reasons. The primary school teachers in Amsterdam are striking to draw attention to an extreme shortage of staff. The general teachers’ strike in January will be to protest against a lack of long-term, sustained funding for education by the Dutch government.
Amsterdam schools missing twenty members of staff
In Amsterdam, the closure of these sixteen schools means that 4500 children will not be able to go to school for the week. All of the schools belong to the Western Garden Cities Foundation, which started the year with 13 teaching positions open, and currently is looking for twenty full time staff. The schools say they need this week to figure out how to deal with the staff shortage.
January general teachers’ strike
The general strike was announced by the teachers’ union AOb this morning following an internal survey of its 6000 members, 90 percent of which indicated that they wanted to strike again. The strike is taking place because teachers feel that structural funding for education from the government is absent.
Teachers want long term funding
It is as yet unclear whether other teachers’ unions will join the strike, which will take place on the 30th and 31st of January. AOb Chairman Stolk says he hopes they will join, as took place last time, on the 6th of November. The reason for the strike is the same as last time: the government’s offer of a one-time grant of 460 million euros is not acceptable to the teachers, who want long term and continual increased funding for the sector.
Confusion around previous strike
The last strike took place amidst considerable confusion, as AOb called off the strike only the day before. The union initially wanted to accept the offer of 460 million euros, but most of its members wanted the strike to go ahead- which it eventually did. Over 3500 schools closed on the 6th of November.
Education minister: considerable money already earmarked for education
Minister Slob has said that while everyone is entitled to express their views and strike if they want to, teachers should bear in mind that substantial money has been made available by the government for salary increases and reducing work pressure.
NS director Roger van Boxtel is asking for harsher punishments for anyone who is violent towards NS staff. This follows incidents of severe violence against staff members, and the shooting of two trains.
Last month, Sander Dekker, Minister of Legal Protection, presented a bill in parliament that would allow for harsher punishments for those who are violent towards social workers. This ruling currently extends to conductors, but Van Boxtel wants to extend this to all NS staff, who he argues are all caretakers of the public.
Pellet gun attack on a train last week
Recently, the NS has been the subject of several violent attacks. Last week, a train was shot at with with pellet guns. Five windows were shattered on the inside, but luckily remained intact inside. No staff or passengers were injured, and two fifteen year old boys have been arrested on suspicion of damaging trains.
Conductor hit in the neck by passenger
At the end of September, a train conductor was assaulted by a passenger in Breda train station. The passenger had been travelling on the same train as the conductor, and did not have a valid ticket. When the conductor exited the train at Breda, the passenger hit her in the neck. Police are still searching for the attacker.
More employees had to deal with violence in 2018 than 2017
While last year the amount of violence against staff inside trains decreased, the amount of violence against them at stations increased by 21 percent. More employees in total (753) had to deal with violence from the public in 2018 than in 2017. According to van Boxtel, he can sense a pattern of violence forming, and “a kind of restlessness has arisen.” This is absolutely unacceptable, he says, especially when it is directed at people who are doing their best to get everyone from a to b. The NS serves 1.3 million people each day.
Do you agree that those who threaten NS staff should be punished more severely? Let us know in the comments below.
If there was ever a morning to say that we haven’t the foggiest idea what the weather is doing, it’s today. Most of the Netherlands is shrouded in fog this morning, which is expected to clear throughout the day.
This week is expected to be uncharacteristically warm, with temperatures staying between 8 and 10 degrees until the weekend. But don’t get too excited: in the Netherlands, warm temperatures at this time of year invariably mean rain. So, we’ve got a cloudy, mild, and wet week ahead, Weerplaza.nl reports. If you spent last week wishing it would warm up just a little bit, this week you’ll be praying for the frost to return. Anything to avoid that full-body raincoat lewk.
Monday: feelin’ foggy
Today, Monday, begins foggily (as we all do on a Monday). The fog is heaviest in the north of the country, and will burn off almost anywhere by early afternoon. The sun will appear occasionally throughout the day, as will scattered showers, particularly in the southwest. It is quite warm for the time of year, reaching 11 degrees in Middelburg.
Tuesday: get that sunscreen out for sunny spells
Tuesday will be mostly dry, with a few showers spread throughout the country. It will, happily, be mostly dry, and if you’re breathtakingly lucky, you might even see the sun peeking through the clouds once or twice. Make sure you’re wearing sunscreen just in case- given how infrequently we see sun in the Netherlands, it’s always a shock to the system.
Wednesday: rain. So much rain.
Wednesday starts off with heavy rain, so if you’re biking to work or school, it’s time to get your sexy rain coat and rain pants on. Or a poncho. But if you go for the poncho option, expect it to work like a sail on a boat, because we’ve also got some high winds on Wednesday morning. Temperatures will be tropical, reaching 12 degrees in some parts of the country.
Warning: you will not look this cute in your rain suit. It’s impossible. Sorry to crush your hopes and dreams.
Thursday: rain, wind, clouds
Autumn weather: perfect for strolling through crispy leaves and wearing light jackets. Wouldn’t it be nice if that was what we were getting on Thursday? Instead, expect rain, heavy wind, and absolutely no sunshine- which seems pretty appropriate for hump day.
Friday and the weekend: temperatures drop
On Friday we begin the drop in temperature for the weekend. It will be slightly colder, with stormy weather in some parts of the country, so get ready to take your rain suit for another outing (or maybe just take the tram). On Saturday and Sunday, the temperature will continue to drop, getting to 6 degrees on Sunday. There will be scattered showers and sunny spells (very short spells, but spells nonetheless).
At the end of a live television broadcast, retired Dutch football star, Marco van Basten, remarked “Sieg Heil”. He has subsequently apologised by commenting, “it was not the intention to shock people, so [I] apologise for this”, NOS reports.
Sieg Heil was a verbal salute used by Nazis to rally support for Adolf Hitler. It translates to Hail Victory.
The interview
A German coach was being interviewed by Fox Sports about the game between Ajax Amsterdam and Heracles Almelo. Just after the interview ended, van Basten can be heard saying the words off camera.
The European champion from 1988 apologised for the comment in Fox’s live broadcast. “I said something that was picked up by many people later. It was not the intention to shock people, so [I] apologise for this. It was more to explain Hans’ German”, NOS reports.
Presenter Jan Joost van Gangelen replied “apologies accepted”.
German internet site T-Online commented, “whatever it was meant to be, don’t make jokes about a Nazi salutation”.
Racism in football
Just one week ago, a game between Den Bosch and Excelsior was stopped for thirty minutes after racist slurs “k-negro, k-cottonpicker, k-blackiewere” were heard from the crowd. This was the first time in Dutch professional football a game was halted because of racism.
Last week, the National Dutch football team released an anti-racism statement entitled “enough is enough” on social media.
This team right!!…. this team stands for way more then football only. And I’m so proud to be part of it. We definitely teaching the next generation how to stand for something but also how to treat each other with equal respect! #superheros#TheNewWavepic.twitter.com/51WhInQEZA
Are there too many tourists coming to the Netherlands? Overtourism in the Netherlands has been a problem for a while now. According to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), there were 10 million foreign tourists who visited the country in July and August in 2019.
That is 4.4% more than people who visited the Netherlands last year in 2018. But while there’s an increase in foreign tourists, there has been a decrease in domestic tourists. While the total share of foreign tourists was 39% five years ago, it is 44% this year.
Domestic tourists who do travel around love to go to Gelderland. However, foreign tourists like to go to Zeeland, South Holland, and North Holland.
With July and August being the busiest months, NOS says that tourism has been increasing in the last nine years. 2014 saw 8 million tourists, 2017 saw 9 million tourists and now we have 10 million tourists roaming around the Netherlands.
What do tourists like to do in the Netherlands?
The number of overnight stays has also increased to 35 million (by 7.6%). But where exactly do they go and what do they do?
According to RTL Z, holiday parks, hotels, guesthouses, youth hostels, and campsites have grown in popularity. Dutch tourists, 1.2 million of them to be exact, went to stay in bungalow park. With the frequent heatwaves in 2018 and 2019, campsites saw a good influx of people.
We all love the Netherlands, and everyone seems to want to get a piece of the action. But the Netherlands is drowning with the influx of all of these tourists, where a lot of them go to tourist destinations like Amsterdam and Giethoorn. There have been efforts being made to distribute them across the country so that these places don’t have to deal with the brunt of this every year.
Were you ever a tourist in the Netherlands? Or do you live here and avoid some places only because it would be too crowded with too many tourists? Let us know in the comments below!
