Country profile Going Dutch –
attractions industry success in the Netherlands Despite the country’s small size, the Netherlands attractions industry is a true leader
WHEN it comes to tourism and entertainment, the Netherlands is a world leader. Despite its small size, the country has a carved out a strong identity that resonates across the globe, attracting millions of visitors each year who want to experience the country’s art, architecture and famously liberal lifestyle. Yet while many people have a stereotypically quaint
notion of the Netherlands, the country is at the forefront of innovation – particularly in terms of the leisure industry – with cutting-edge attractions, theme parks and museums replacing the staid postcard images of windmills and tulip fields. With low unemployment, a large and stable current
account surplus, low government debt and a budget in surplus, the Dutch economy was initially thought to be well prepared to weather any global financial crisis. This view was reinforced when the Dutch economy seemed to remain relatively untouched by the overseas problems at the start of the downturn. Economic growth in 2007 remained robust at 3.5 per cent, which was above the euro area average of 2.75 per cent. In 2008, however, the negative effects of the financial crisis became more apparent and economic growth came to a grinding halt in the second quarter. When looking beyond the economic downturn,
the
European Commission stated that the Netherlands is still in a “relatively good shape,” most importantly because of its flexible labour market and limited dependency on foreign capital. According to NBTC Holland, the group responsible
for branding and marketing the Netherlands nationally and internationally, the country welcomed nearly 11.3 million foreign tourists in 2011, up four per cent on the previous year. The vast majority of visitors – nine million people – were from Europe, led by Germany (three million visitors), the UK (1.5 million), Belgium (1.3 million) and France (670,000). This, of course, is a clear boon for the country’s myriad of leisure and entertainment venues.
by Adrian Lennox,
with additional reporting by James Walker
“The Dutch amusements and leisure industry is strong,”
said Fons Jurgens, chairman and chief executive of Efteling, the most popular leisure venue. “There are many smaller and larger amusement parks with a diverse proposition. Business has been great for Efteling in 2014. We have been exceeding expectations from the start of the year. We find this is due to the good weather, an increasing number of visitors from Germany and Belgium, more season ticket holders and business guests for events.” Opened in 1952 as Fairytale Forest – three years
before the original Disneyland opened its doors in California – Efteling is the most popular tourist attraction in the Netherlands and one of the leading theme parks in Europe. It is joined by other large-scale parks, including Walibi Holland, Attractiepark Slagharen, Plopsaland and Avonturenpark Hellendoorn, along with a multitude of other parks, waterparks and hundreds of playgrounds and children’s petting zoos – ‘Kinderboerderij’ – which are to be found in most public parks.
www.InterPark.co.uk 49
Image courtesy Efteling
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