The 84-year-old Hans Bakker was born and raised on Texel. He has seen his island change. From a place where initially mainly bird watchers went, to an island where people like to cycle and where there is a great demand for luxury houses. “It’s a pity that we only have so few campsites left. You see luxury bungalows everywhere.”
Hans Bakker was born in Oudeschild, when it was still teeming with fishing boats. “It was a prosperous port town with little tourism,” he told NH Radio. “There were 40 to 60 cutters. The remediation has become a disaster, because there are only three cutters left.”
“After I got married, we went to live in De Koog,” he continues. “That was the seaside resort of Texel. Still, by the way, with a location on the beach. We had a new house there and we did bed and breakfast there. Because what else could you do? Everyone there did that. In the end, the tourists paid inherently for repayment. So that was ideal.”
Shame
In the 1960s, tourism really took off, says Bakker. “We had fewer bungalows then than now. It’s a pity that there are now so few campsites left. You had beautiful campsites in the dunes. They are still there, because you are not allowed to build in the dunes. But most camping grounds have been converted into bungalow parks.”
“Buying up camping grounds and building bungalow houses: it’s just business”
Bakker: “It used to be private holiday homes, now it’s large companies that buy camping sites and build bungalow houses there. It’s just business. It is a good thing that there is a maximum of 45,000 sleeping places. And building new houses, that is not allowed. You can, however, enlarge holiday homes and make them more luxurious.”
He also understands that tourists are welcomed with open arms. “I’m 84, I don’t need it all anymore. But I do understand that people earn their living with it. The big business most Texel residents just don’t like it.”
NH360 about tourism on Texel
Has Texel reached the limit of tourism? NH hopes to receive an answer to this. The stories come from all sides: 360 degrees.
From 28 February to 3 March NH will move part of the editorial team to Den Burg. This week we can be found daily in the Glass Palace.
Do you want to join the conversation? Everyone is welcome to come and share their story with us. You can also just take a look. Our editorial staff can be found from tomorrow in the Glass Palace, located in the Wezentuin park in Den Burg.
All stories that are made from Texel can be recognized by the NH 360º design above the articles. A collection of the stories can be found at nhnieuws.nl/360texel.
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