(TAN): The Netherlands is gearing up to officially drop its nickname Holland as part of a tourism rebranding initiative from January, reports said. The campaign will reportedly cost the country EUR 200,000 (USD 224,000 approximately).
According to reports, the Dutch government will instead only use the Netherlands on all its marketing materials.
The change, which will be implemented ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest which the Netherlands will host in May 2020 and the Tokyo Olympics, will reportedly upgrade the country’s global image and put an end to the confusion about the difference between “Holland” and “Netherlands”, the two names that have been used to refer to the same West European nation.
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Holland includes only two of Netherlands’ 12 provinces – North Holland, home to Amsterdam, and South Holland. It became famous during the 19th century as the country’s centre of economy, thus becoming synonymous to the nation’s official name. In fact, Netherlands’ official tourism website is Holland.com.
But starting next month, universities, companies, ministries and embassies will only be able to use the country’s official name, reports said.
“It is a little strange to promote only a small part of the Netherlands abroad, that is, only Holland,” a spokesperson for the foreign ministry was quoted by Fox News as saying.
Netherlands also reportedly launched a new logo with “NL” designed to depict a tulip – the country’s national flower. The new logo, which will be used on every trade mission, could propel exports and draw investment and talent, reports said.
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However, the move is about more than just acknowledging the other provinces. According to reports, it is Netherlands’ way of attracting tourists to other parts of the country in a sustainable manner as it grapples with overtourism.
Reports said 10 million tourists visited Netherlands in 2018, while World Travel & Tourism’s data showed the country could get 19.6 million visitors in 2019. Nearly 42 million people were reportedly predicted to visit the country annually by 2030. Many visitors stay within Holland, creating pressure on the region and its locals. The name-changing strategy could encourage people to explore other regions of the country, thereby lifting the burden of overtourism from the Holland region.
“We say that ‘more’ is not always better, certainly not everywhere. To be able to control visitor flows, we must take action now. Instead of destination promotion it’s time for destination management,” a Netherlands tourist board policy document was quoted by the Guardian earlier this year.
