Tourism in our country is on the rise. As far as Drenthe is concerned, Germans in particular are more attracted to Drenthe. But at the same time, the pressure on the available space is also increasing. Will holidaymakers and entrepreneurs in the recreational sector soon have to fight for a place to relax?
Hundreds of professionals are in Drenthe today to discuss this subject during the ‘Tourism Summit’. That annual conference is held in a different province every year. In the morning all visitors visit the Prison Museum in Veenhuizen, in the afternoon the group is in De Nieuwe Kolk in Assen.
There is talk about the (limited) space in the Netherlands. And the discussion about this is more topical than ever, says the sector. Consider developments in the areas of living, working, mobility, nature and agriculture. Every domain must fight for its place. “And the tourism sector will have to blow up a lot,” says director Astrid Crum of Marketing Drenthe.
This is necessary, she believes, because tourism receives less attention than it deserves. For example, the sector was again not mentioned in the Speech from the Throne on Budget Day last week. And that stings. “It is never talked about, but recreation is extremely important for the happiness and well-being of our residents. I would therefore like to appeal to policy makers. If a place is designated for housing, for example, also look at the combination with greenery.”
A study by the ANWB previously showed that green space per inhabitant is decreasing drastically. The Netherlands currently has 308 square meters of recreational space per inhabitant. Due to population growth and an increase in tourism, the green space for Dutch people will decrease by 32 square meters until 2050 if nothing is done, according to the ANWB. The province of Drenthe is an exception to this, because according to CBS forecasts, fewer people will soon live here.
“We have to look smart at how we can combine functions,” says Crum. Because, according to the director of Marketing Drenthe, the task is big. “If we look at how much space a resident needs to enjoy good recreation, an area as large as the Veluwe will have to be added in the Netherlands until 2050 to provide for everyone.”
That a bit of relaxation is popular in the province is evident from the fact that tourism in Drenthe is on the rise. Figures updated up to and including July show that the number of overnight stays in our province has increased by 4 percent compared to last year.
Although August was not very good in terms of weather, Crum expects that things will straighten out in September, including high temperatures and activities such as the European Cycling Championships. “In our campaigns we have focused on the early and late season. That will also help.” It is striking that Germans know how to find Drenthe en masse: 160,000 Germans (700,000 overnight stays) visited the region in the first seven months of the year. Crum speaks of 77 percent growth.
The Netherlands Board of Tourism and Congresses sees that tourism is also picking up nationally after the slower corona years. Chinese tourists in particular are finding their way to the Netherlands again, now that international travel has been possible there again since the beginning of this year