Residents of the Bollenstreek see an increase in ‘Amsterdam’ tourists, but are not afraid of an abundance in their region. Those few weeks a year seem to be manageable, according to a tour of the area by NH on Saturday afternoon. Earlier research showed that many residents of the region are not waiting for city trip tourists from Amsterdam. Nevertheless, residents also see the increase in tourists as an opportunity.
Although the area of the flower carpets is largely South Holland, the North Holland villages of Vogelenzang and Bennebroek also belong to the Bollenstreek.
Flower splendor
That the North Holland villages attract many tourists becomes immediately clear on Saturday afternoon. Along the N206 between Vogelenzang and De Zilk, hordes of people are enjoying the beautiful flowers. Many of them come from abroad and reside in Amsterdam, according to a tour of the site. “It’s our first day in Amsterdam, but we immediately went to see the flowers. So beautiful,” says one of them.
According to Cora van Haaster, the biggest flower crowd puller for tourists is the Keukenhof in Lisse. “Yesterday it was announced that all tickets there for next weekend are sold out, then it will automatically be busier here in the region.” Van Haaster, one of the organizers of the annual flower mosaic festival in Vogelenzang, does not see the problem of more tourists in the region. According to her, those few weeks a year when the flower fields are in bloom are manageable in terms of tourism.
Benefits tourism
Many local residents share Van Haaster’s opinion. Residents of the Bollenstreek indicate that they notice an increase in tourists, but do not immediately regard this as a problem. They also see the benefits of it, it turns out. When asked if they find it annoying that more tourists will visit their hometown, one of them replies: “Just fun, right? I have no problem with it.”
Yet opinions seem divided and another resident says: “I myself avoid Amsterdam because of the tourists, so I would not like it if the peace was disturbed here.” The cycling behavior of tourists also seems to be an irritation for residents. However, everyone seems to agree that more tourists do not only cause misery. Residents see the financial boost as a major advantage.
The solution
According to tourism strategist Isabel Mosk, a trip to the Bollenstreek will not reduce the problem of tourists and the pressure on Amsterdam. Especially since many tourists who make a city trip at this time of year already have the Bollenstreek on their to-do list.
Mosk thinks it won’t get much done. According to her, tourists are willing to do something outside Amsterdam for a maximum of two to four hours. “They spend an afternoon in the Bollenstreek and have a day and a half in Amsterdam. It becomes clear: this does not seem to be the solution to reduce the tourist pressure in Amsterdam yet.